Feel It In My Bones
by waffledynasty
Summary: Brittany has a secret admirer. Santana has a secret crush. AU.
1. Don't Confess

**A/N:**

**I've been very bad and went ahead with writing another story instead of a new chapter for **_You Know How I Do_. **I hope you guys enjoy this one! :)**

**Also, warnings for naughty language so I don't get deleted! Santana likes to curse a lot in here!**

**(P.S. Not a One-shot ;p)**

* * *

The entire student population of McKinley High School was _buzzing_ with the news. Rumors, accusations, and the like were floating around at an alarming rate. An hour hadn't even passed since the revered incident occurred and the gossipmongers were already posting articles on their blogs, sending mass texts, and whispering during class about what had happened. Each had their own theories, their own speculations over the mystery person behind the event. Some were saying it was the handsome, but shy, Sam Evans while other's suggested the gesture had been orchestrated by none other than loveable badass Noah Puckerman as a ploy to get back at his long time girlfriend Head Cheerio Quinn Fabray for their recent breakup. A select few concluded that some hopeless nerd was behind the entire ordeal because, honestly, neither Sam nor Puck had the mental capacity to implement a plan so brilliantly romantic and embarrassingly cheesy all at once. When hounded by said gossipmongers Brittany S. Pierce the fortunate (or unfortunate as some saw it) target refused to comment on the matter.

_It_ happened approximately ten minutes prior to the end of Brittany's lunch hour. She made her way to her locker to retrieve the needed items for her next class, completely unaware to what awaited her behind her closed locker door. Brittany wasn't a '_mean girl'_ in the slightest. Sure, she was a cheerleader. Yeah, she was considered one of the popular kids. And so what if her best friend happened to be Quinn Fabray, bitch galore. She was nice to everyone regardless of how they treated her. All in all, she was a generally pleasant person. So when she opened her locker to find a shiny silver bracelet dangling in front of her, an envelope with her name on it attached, she was only mildly surprised by the seemingly romantic gesture. Being the bubbly, friendly person she was Brittany tended to garner the attention of many admirers.

Still, the sentiment wasn't lost on Brittany. Her bright blue eyes traced the leisurely scrawl of her name atop the envelope, fingers reaching out to pluck the items from the confines of her locker. She admired the shine of the metal and the cute little diamond studded heart charm dangling from the bracelet. It was beautiful. To say she was flattered was an understatement. She had boyfriends (and the occasional girlfriend) who hadn't bothered to give her a gift even half as nice. Her gaze flickered back to the envelope and she opened the scrap of paper to find a handwritten note.

_'Brittany Pierce, you are the most beautiful girl I have had the pleasure of knowing. I've kept my feelings for you a secret for a very long time, but I can't hide them any longer. I can't go on living for the days you acknowledge me and dying on the days you don't. I want to tell you how I feel in person. Meet me…'_

"…_under the bleachers after school_." Brittany nearly jumped out of her own skin at the sound of the voice. She had completely forgotten Quinn, along with the entire varsity cheer squad, was standing right next to her. "Signed, _Your Secret Admirer_. Oh my god, Britt! That's so romantic! You have to meet this guy!"

The rest of the cheer squad erupted in a fit of giggles and excited squeals, followed by a chorus of _'yeah, totally'_. Brittany ignored the fawning of the other girls as she set the bracelet around her wrist with great care, a soft pink flush seeping across her cheeks and a bashful smile playing at her lips. She let her fingertips trail over the little charm, completely ignorant of Quinn's continued gushing or the small crowd of students that'd taken interest upon the head cheerleader's rather loud proclamation.

From the end of the crowded hallway Santana Lopez, resident badass, watched the scene unfold. On the outside she exuded her usual '_I'll tear you apart if you so much as look in my direction_' demeanor. Her pretty features set in an angered scowl and dark eyes sharp as she leaned nonchalantly against her own locker. On the inside, Santana was a mess. Like, a _legit_ fucking mess. Her heart was hammering so hard she was sure she was going to throw it up and she could barely hear the annoying girly squeals of those vapid little Cheerios past the rushing of blood in her ears. She felt like she was going to pass out. From anxiety or pure mortification she wasn't sure. All Santana knew was that Brittany Pierce had read her note, had accepted her gift, and had smiled a smile that'd made Santana want to find the cure for cancer. It scared her, excited her. Because seeing Brittany smile just _did_ things to her. And at the end of the school day, away from the prying eyes of her peers, Santana was finally going to tell Brittany how she felt about her.

_If_ she didn't die from nervousness first…

* * *

The school day passed in a blur and the news about Brittany Pierce's Secret Admirer spread like a highly infectious disease. The entire school was practically bursting with anticipation. Even the most stoic of students were heatedly debating the identity of the mysterious Secret Admirer. Jacob Ben Israel's blog even had a poll going. Half of the faculty were taking bets on who the kid was, even Principal Figgin's had been enticed by the excitement of it all.

Santana, overwrought by her anxiousness over the big reveal, hadn't heard the retelling of her romantic gesture being broadcasted all over the school. She was far too busy trying to avoid Brittany in a desperate attempt not to blow her cover prematurely or, you know, have a bad… _reaction_ to being in the blonde's presence, as she often tended to. It was no secret that Santana Lopez was a bitch. It was a well known fact that she'd had it out for Brittany Pierce for over a decade. And ok, yeah, maybe she had a habit of picking on Brittany. She never _meant_ to bully the girl. She just… every time she was near the pretty blonde she couldn't help herself. Her insides went all crazy and Brittany would, like, give her this adorable smile and Santana simply didn't know how to deal with all the _feelings_ so she lashed out in the only way that made sense.

After years of soul searching, and puberty, Santana finally realized what she was feeling and why she was feeling it. She realized she was in major _like_ with Brittany Pierce. That she had a huge crush on the girl and hey! Guess what? She was also a mega lesbian. Nevertheless by the time the brunette had made peace with herself she'd already gained a reputation for being a bad girl. A bully. A rebel. A bitch you didn't want to fuck with. The reputation and her history with Brittany made it near impossible to confess her feelings to the girl. It sure didn't help that every time Santana tried to admit how she felt she ended up chickening out and defaulting to bullying her crush.

Really, it didn't help that Brittany never once retaliated even though it was obvious the teasing affected her. Never so much as got angry with Santana or sunk to the brunette's level. The only negative emotion she ever expressed toward the dark haired girl was mild annoyance and even that was rare. On the few occasions that Brittany was annoyed enough to attempt to stand up for herself the reaction only seemed to further spur Santana's mean streak. The brunette hated to admit it, but she craved Brittany's attention in a way that was sure as hell not healthy. The whole Secret Admirer thing was supposed to put an end to it all. Brittany was a good person and maybe, just maybe, if Santana came clean about her feelings the cheerleader might give her a chance to at least redeem herself. Though a part of her (the ridiculous hopeless romantic school girl fairytale part of her) was hoping Brittany would accept her confession with one of those big screen romantic movie ending kind of kisses and they'd ride off into the sunset together and… _yeah_. If Santana ever admitted that to anyone she would have to kill them and dump their body in a river to keep them from blabbing about it.

Her thoughts were filled with such panic and romantic fantasies that she failed to notice the school bustling with gossip. Yep. Santana Lopez was completely clueless until she overheard two freshmen talking about it on her way to meeting Brittany. Apparently, word had spread about Brittany's admirer and the meeting under the bleachers. No one knew who the knight in shining armor was and a bunch of students had decided to crash the big reveal. Santana literally froze mid step upon hearing the little tidbit. She was Santana fucking Lopez. She was a self asserted badass. People were scared of her, people _feared_ her. She couldn't have everyone and their mothers knowing she was mush for Brittany Pierce. It would ruin her image. An image she spent years building so people would leave her the fuck alone.

_'Relax, Lopez.' _She took a deep, calming breath. Shaking herself out of her stupor and continuing her trek toward the designated meeting place. _'So a few losers wanna crash your party. It can't be too bad.'_ She reasoned with herself, nodding in reassurance. _'Just scare the fuckers off and you'll be fine.'_

By the time she arrived at the meeting place she was hardcore freaking the fuck out. She cursed her damned voice of reason, can't be too bad her ass! There was a large crowd of students camped out and waiting like it was opening night of the new _Twilight_ movie. It was insanity. Santana didn't even know so many people could fit under the bleachers and many referred to the damn spot as _Lopez's Lair_. Santana cursed her luck, shoving some random kid out of the way and concealing herself behind a pillar. Her brown eyes surveyed the still growing crowd before landing on an annoyed looking Brittany Pierce. It was exceedingly obvious that the blonde hadn't wanted nearly half the school intruding on her Secret Admirer meet and greet. The entire varsity cheer squad, as per usual, surrounded Brittany. A few of the little cheer bitches were hanging off of some football meatheads.

Almost half an hour passed before people started leaving. Santana was intent on waiting them out. When a full thirty five minutes passed without the Secret Admirer stepping forward one of the jocks, Santana recognized him as one of Fabray's ex man bitches, spoke up. "Let's get out of here, guys. The dude obviously wussed out."

"It was probably some stupid prank." Another meathead joined in.

"Either way," Noah Puckerman chimed in next to Quinn Fabray. If the way his arm was slung around the blonde's shoulders was any indication, it looked like their recent break up had turned into a more recent make up. "The guy isn't showing. I vote we bail."

Brittany's face fell at the suggestions and Santana wasn't prepared for the way her heart ached at the sight. The feeling made her want to punch Puckerman square in the face. Made her want to go all Lima Heights on all their little party crashing asses. "You guys can go. I'm just going to stay here a little longer."

The group dispersed fairly quickly. Santana scowled as Quinn hung back with Brittany. The head cheerleader's hazel eyes softened with a rare display of concern. "Britt, you should come with us. I know you want to believe this guy is for real but maybe you should accept the possibility-"

"I'm fine, Q." Brittany gave the other blonde a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow at practice."

Quinn begrudgingly accepted the response, sparing one last concerned glance in Brittany's direction before leaving. Brittany looked around the emptied area before dejectedly slumping down onto the beat up old couch in the center with an audible sniffle. The sight was killing Santana. She hadn't meant to hurt the blonde's feelings. She continued to watch Brittany, unsure whether she should just leave or use the opportunity to show herself. Santana's heart was practically ripping itself into teeny tiny shreds at that point so when Brittany moved to unclasp the charm bracelet from her wrist the brunette sprang into action. Defaulting to her only method of interaction with her crush.

"Who said you could sulk on my couch, _Pierce_?"

Brittany, who was used to Santana's absolute bitchiness, simply let the comment roll off of her as usual. "Did you come here to gloat, Santana? Because I would appreciate it if you didn't just this once."

The comment stunned Santana silent, Brittany had never sounded so cold to her. She inched closer to the blonde, swallowing down her nerves and taking a seat on the armrest of the couch a pretty good distance out of Brittany's personal space. Truthfully she wanted to kiss the blonde silly. Sadly she only had the courage to utter out another bitchy comment. "You all upset because Prince Charming didn't show?"

Brittany's face only slipped further into desolation at the reply. "Please just _leave me alone_."

Santana seriously felt like a Grade A Bitch for what she was doing but she couldn't help herself. She always pussied out when the big moment came. Her biggest fear was Brittany's rejection because she knew she'd been an unreasonable uber bitch to the blonde for years. "Maybe your little Secret Admirer didn't show because they didn't want the whole school in their business. Some people _like_ their privacy."

Brittany gave the brunette a strange look, her brows furrowed. The look passed with a shake of the blonde's head. "Are you trying to say it's _my_ fault she didn't show up?"

Santana shrugged. She was realized she was using the conversation to express her discontent with the whole botched meeting ordeal but she was already in too deep to suddenly confess her undying affection for the girl in the middle of their conversation. "Well you and your little pep squad practically invited the whole... Wait. Did you say _she_?"

Brittany instantly flushed at the question, stumbling so cutely over her words that Santana had to fight the monster of an adoring smile tugging at her full lips. "I-I... the, um, yeah. _She_. The note… It had, erm, perfume on it."

Santana internally cursed that stupid bitch ass part of her that decided to go ahead with the dumb perfume thing. She wasn't going to spray her perfume on it because it was really fucking cheesy and cliché but then she rationalized that the whole scenario was cheesy and cliché so she might as well. "Huh. So some chick has a big lezzy crush on you. Wonder if she's got a screw loose or something."

"Well." Brittany stood abruptly, obviously fed up with Santana's cattiness for the day. "As much as I enjoyed our usual _conversation_ I'm going to leave before you cut off my hair or pants me or make me cry again."

"Hey!" Santana called out with false bravado as Brittany walked away from her. "I haven't made you cry since freshman year!" Brittany kept walking, ignoring Santana, which only served to make the brunette crave her attention even more. "And, for the last fucking time, Fabitch was the one who cut your pony tail off in fifth grade! That cunt made me take the fall!"

By the time Santana finished, Brittany was already halfway across the field. Still ignoring her. The brunette sighed heavily, falling over onto the couch. She was pissed off at herself for being a coward yet again. She was so fucking hopeless. _'Way to go, Lopez. You really know how to treat the girl of your dreams.'_


	2. Here I Am

**A/N:**

******Oh. Em. Gee. I so wasn't expecting a response like this. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it! There's way more craziness to come. And for those of you whose hearts I've broken cheer up! It ends happy I promise. In the mean time here's a little treat! I appreciate all the feedback and hope to hear more from you all. :D**

* * *

"Ugh." Quinn scowled at the dark haired girl, dusting off the dirt left on her Cheerios skirt from the impact with Santana's muddied boots. "What are you even _doing_ here before noon? And don't even get me started on the fact that you're in the _Cheerios_ locker room which is, _hello_, off limits to any one who isn't on the squad."

Santana mostly ignored the bitchy blonde's griping. The giant ball of nervousness swirling in the pit of her stomach was the only thing keeping her from pointing out the fact that Puckerman wasn't on the squad and yet the area clearly wasn't off limits to her little boy toy. All she could manage before proceeding to lay back down on the bench she was 'napping' on was a gruffly barked: "Mind your own fucking business."

Her pulse was hammering, her palms sweating, and stomach churning as she shut her eyes and listened to the cheerleaders make their way toward their lockers to change. It was mad hard pretending to be asleep when the girl she was crushing on was seconds away from finding another one of her Secret Admirer notes. It was even harder for her to remain calm when the gaggle of insipid cheer whores sprang into a chorus of '_aww_'s once her gift was discovered. It took everything in Santana to hold down the blush trying to fight its way across her tanned cheeks.

"_Q…_" Brittany immediately shut her locker, sparing a cautious glance at the curious squad members before settling her best friend with a stern look.

The Head Bitch rolled her eyes before nodding in acquiescence. She turned to the rest of the cheerleaders, her hazel eyes burning with authority. "Fix your ponies and go wait outside."

They were gone in a flash. Fearing for their positions on the squad and the subsequent popularity that came with it.

"Happy?" Quinn huffed in irritation. Reaching for Brittany's closed locker door and pulling it open. "Now let's see what Prince Charming has to say for himself. He made a fool out of you in front of the entire school, Britt!"

From the corner of her eyes Santana watched Quinn pull her gift out of Brittany's locker. Watched as Brittany plucked the tiny stuffed panda from Quinn's grasp. Her heart practically skipped a beat when a slow smile crept across Brittany's lips. Santana swore she almost fainted when Brittany giggled upon finding the heart shaped note she'd set in the plush panda's stubby arms. The brunette could recite exactly what she'd written. She damn near spent an entire three days trying to find the right words to express how bad she felt about their ruined first meeting attempt. In the end she'd gone with:

_'Brittany,_

_There aren't words to express how sorry I am for not finding the courage to tell you how I feel in front of all those people. I feel like such a jerk for making you look like a sad panda so I thought this little guy might cheer you up. If you can find it in your heart to give me another chance…'_

"_…meet me at BreadstiX tonight at 7. Your 'Hopefully Forgiven' Secret Admirer._" Quinn looked up at Brittany, brow arched. "Britt… Are you going to meet him at BreadstiX tonight?"

Brittany squeezed the little stuffed panda to her chest, a soft pout taking her lips. She _did_ want to meet the girl but she was afraid of being stood up yet again. Her secret admirer was obviously struggling with publically admitting her feelings for Brittany and the blonde acknowledged that there was a possibility the girl wouldn't show. She chewed at her bottom lip, meeting Quinn's inquisitive stare with a soft nod. "I… _want_ to. I just… what if-"

"Oh my god! He was _here_! He came in _here_ to leave the note in your locker!" Quinn's hazel eyes widened, a victorious smirk taking her lips. "We can figure out who this guy is before tonight, Britt. Someone must have noticed a guy coming in _here_ to leave the thing."

Santana frowned when Brittany failed to protest the _guy_ part of the statement for the umpteenth time since Fabitch opened her mouth. She was mere seconds away from getting her ass up and storming out of the room. She knew it was irrational of her to be mad at Brittany for not wanting to disclose the fact that her Secret Admirer was a chick to the blonde bitch from hell because well, it wasn't a secret that Quinn Fabray and her little minions weren't down with the gays. Santana couldn't understand how in the hell Brittany, being openly bisexual, could stand to be friends with the other blonde. Everyone who was anyone knew that Fabray had even outed her own cousin, the kid ended up having to transfer out of McKinley because of it. Before she could implement her '_storm out in a foul mood like a motherfucking badass_' plan of action, she felt someone nudging her legs with the toe of their shoe. Santana didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was.

"Touch me one more time Fabray and you can guarantee a visit from auntie Snixx."

"Since you obviously weren't here before we started practice you must have seen the guy that left the note in Brittany's locker." Quinn huffed at the brunette who still had her eyes closed as she relaxed against the bench. "Come on, Santana. Just tell us who he is."

Santana groaned exaggeratedly and made a show of getting into a sitting position, making her agitation at being bothered known. She leveled her dark glare upon the bitchy blonde cheerleader. "Look, Bimbo Barbie. You need to back the fuck up a'fores I mess up that shoddy nose job of yours."

Quinn gaped at the dark haired girl, her hand automatically covering her nose. Hazel eyes shifting nervously about the room as she responded unconvincingly. "I did _not_ get a nose job."

"Really? Cause your doctor did a shit job at hiding those pesky little surgical scars. Plus," Santana grinned devilishly. "At least one piece of you has to be as plastic as your personality."

Quinn scowled. Looking about ready to pounce at the brunette and rip the insufferable woman's throat out. "At least it looks more natural than your boob job!"

"Oh, honey," Santana chuckled throatily, her expression a mixture between dangerously threatening and sarcastically flirtatious. She cupped her breasts haughtily, her already accentuated cleavage making it look like her boobs might pop out of her tight low cut shirt. "These rambunctious twins are 100% Santana Lopez."

The display was indecent. It was delectable. It was downright sexy. It had Brittany Pierce suddenly feeling a little more than hot and a lot more than bothered. Santana Lopez was sitting in front of her provocatively grabbing her tits and eying the two blondes like she was going to do one of two things. One being beat them both into a bloody mass of limbs and internal organs. Or two, jump them and have dirty raunchy hot rough sex with one (or both) of them. The horny teenager in Brittany was jumping up and down screaming variations of _'oh my god please let it be me'_ while the itty bitty rational part of her protested the notion entirely. Santana had been nothing but a bully to her since the first day they met nearly twelve years ago. Sure Brittany wasn't blind and hadn't failed to notice that the brunette was attractive but she had never been _attracted_ to Santana. The image in front of her added with the thoughts swirling around in her head had Brittany feeling like she was going to self combust or pass the fuck out.

Santana, distracted by Brittany's apparent inner turmoil and the cute face the blonde was making, waited for the moment Quinn predictably looked right at her breasts. At that opportune moment Santana went in for the kill because she abso_fucking_lutely loved getting on the other girl's last nerve. "Your gay is totally showing, Fabray."

Quinn was practically seething with pure rage. She might have prided herself on being head bitch in charge but Santana Lopez took the fucking cake at being the biggest damn bitch in town. The brunette clearly had no boundaries and zero social skills to speak of. How Santana managed to make it through high school was beyond her. "How dare you-"

Santana only chuckled at the blonde's raging. The bitch seriously needed to be taken down a notch. She stood from her seated position, getting right in Quinn's face with a snarl. "I was minding my own damn business when _you_ decided it was ok to bother me about Pierce's little stalker problem. You best step off before-"

"Before what?" Quinn took a menacing step closer to the other girl. Tempting fate as some would say. "What are _you_ going t-"

Brittany snapped out of her daze in that very moment, taking in the attack positions Quinn and Santana were readied at. She stepped in between them, her blue eyes landing on Quinn before moving to Santana's suddenly passive brown. In the split second between stepping between them and looking in Quinn's direction, Brittany missed the widening of surprise in Santana's dark eyes as well as the softening of the brunette's furious features. "Santana clearly didn't see who left it. Let's just drop it and get to class."

Santana scoffed when Quinn shot her a dark glare before storming off, Brittany following after the cheer captain without another word. "Yeah. Sure didn't see a _guy_ breaking into your locker."

The comment made Brittany freeze, she caught Santana's malicious knowing smirk and frowned. The attraction she felt just moments ago must have been a momentary lapse in judgment. There was _no way in hell_ she was attracted to evil incarnate. She decided not to push the matter because she didn't want open a whole new can of crazy by telling Quinn she knew her Secret Admirer was a chick.

* * *

Brittany sighed, she should have known that her Secret Admirer wouldn't show again. Her earlier excitement had faded considerably and her mood had shifted to downright disappointed. She was on the verge of chopping it all up to some messed up joke and leaving the restaurant in pure devastation. Prior to the set meeting at BreadstiX, Quinn warned Brittany not to get her hopes up. That her Secret Admirer could be some bottom feeding nerd or a total creep. She understood Quinn was just looking out for her best interest and wholeheartedly believed Quinn Fabray was not as mean as people said she was. Sure, Brittany had witnessed her best friend slushie some poor, undeserving student on more than one occasion but that was completely beside the point. Quinn was a good person… when she wanted to be. The infamous fall out with Kurt was a misunderstanding at best. Still, the teensy itsy bitsy part of her that doubted her friend held her back from telling Quinn the truth about her Secret Admirer. Brittany might have been known for being open to relationships with both men and women but she knew that most of her peers thought it was a phase. A little early experimentation. Quinn, unfortunately, happened to agree with the phase theory.

Santana arrived at BreadstiX at fifteen minutes to eight, a full forty-five minutes past the time she'd requested to meet Brittany. She damned her nearly inconsolable nerves and cursed the swirl of doubt in the pit of her stomach for her late arrival. She had been so consumed by thoughts of Brittany's rejection that she almost gave in the pesky little voice at the back of her mind telling her to avoid the disappointment entirely. Her frantic brown eyes searched the establishment for a glimpse of her secret crush. When she found Brittany sitting in a booth at the far end of the restaurant all of her doubts seemed to slip away and a wide ecstatic smile stretched across her face. During her reckless drive to the meeting place Santana had hoped beyond hope that Brittany would somehow still be waiting for her. However, if the disappointed frown marring the blonde's pretty features was anything to go by, Brittany wouldn't be waiting for much longer.

Panicked by the thought of Brittany leaving just when she'd found the courage to confess everything to the girl, Santana sprang into action. Practically shoving an unsuspecting Brittany back into the booth. Her mouth moving before she even knew what she was going to say. "Stay."

Brittany gave the dark haired girl an incredulous look; she like literally didn't even consider Santana Lopez was her Secret Admirer. "Excuse me?"

The look only served to make Santana feel disheartened which in turn forced her into another bout of '_act now, think later'_. She slid into the booth next to Brittany, effectively trapping the other girl. It was a desperate move but, hell, Santana was _desperate_. "My, uh, my ex is here and I… look, I'm not about to look like a loser having dinner alone on a Friday night."

The bullshit coming out of her own traitor mouth had Santana fighting back a cringe. _'Really, Santana? That's the best you've got? You should let her leave before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.'_

"I'm really not in the mood for… whatever this is, Santana." The bite in Brittany's voice wasn't something Santana was accustomed to and the brunette winced. It was clear Brittany was upset about her Secret Admirer seemingly not showing again.

However, Santana was admittedly not in the right state of mind. She couldn't really focus properly with Brittany being so close. She kept getting distracted by the dust of cute little freckles across Brittany's cheeks, the shockingly vibrant blue of her eyes, the ghost of her body heat, and the curl of her golden hair. She liked it when the blonde's hair wasn't trapped in the god awful uniformed ponytail all Cheerios were forced into at school. The shiny blonde curls looked soft and silky and Santana was barely resisting the urge to run her shaking fingers through it. Instead, she ran a hand through her own tousled raven tresses. Breaking eye contact and ignoring the annoying flippity flop in the pit of her stomach. "If you help me out, I'll help you figure out who your Secret Admirer is."

The blonde merely eyed her reluctantly.

"I did see someone." Santana wanted to slap herself for the lie. It was just low, even for her standards. "Fabray was right. I saw who came into the locker room earlier today."

The proclamation had Brittany hook, line, and sinker. "Okay. I'll help you. But _first_ you have to tell me what you saw, then I'll stay."

"Well, thing is, I only saw the chick for like a second because I was, you know, _sleeping_. And I only saw her from behind so…"

Brittany canted her head, brow arching. "Go on."

Santana was seriously gripping at straws. "All I saw was some chick with a nice ass and dark hair stuffing shit in your locker. I didn't really care what she was doing so I just went back to sleep. I swear."

"Okay, I believe you."

The statement made Santana feel like crap because Brittany really shouldn't believe her. She was only telling half truths and the last thing she wanted was for Brittany to think some random chick was her Secret Admirer. She was in deep water and it wasn't looking like she could stop herself from drowning. The situation just seemed to get worse and worse. Despite being half lost in her thoughts and half lost in Brittany, Santana was hyper aware of the awkward silence that settled between them. She chopped it down to being a product of their still close proximity and the not really being friends thing.

Brittany was the one to break the silence. Her blue eyes studying the table and hands fidgeting anxiously in her lap. "So. Are we supposed to… I mean…you said your ex was here so, um, are we pretending to be on like a, uh… date… thing? I mean, ugh, do you even… swing that way?"

The date suggestion made them both a hell of a lot more nervous than they felt they should be. Santana swallowed thickly, internally jumping for joy while trying to remain cool on the outside. "Yeah-" She cleared the squeaky pubescent boy quality out of her throat. "Yes. I… swing that way and a, uh, a date _thing_. Because my ex needs to be… _jealous_!"

Brittany, considerably less tense after Santana's uncharacteristic distress, managed to ask another question. "If you don't mind me asking, who is it we're making jealous?"

Santana would have viciously intoned that she did, in fact, mind had Brittany's perfume not been making her dizzy. Instead her eyes automatically surveyed the restaurant, finding the most attractive woman in the room (besides Brittany of course) before making the conscious effort to lean into Brittany just so. Her chest settling against the blonde's arm, plump lips brushing against her ear, and hot breath invading her crush's senses in the most enticing way. "See the brunette a few tables over? The one sitting with the douche bag wearing an Ed Hardy tee? That's her."

"I didn't know you were gay." Brittany whispered it more to herself than the vixen next to her. There was something about the way Santana was leaning against her, the way the brunette was speaking to her. Something about the way Santana's perfume sent a familiar tingle down her spine that made Brittany unnaturally nervous.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

The sexy chuckle Santana breathed against her ear reminded Brittany of warm caramel, silk, and something smoky. It was all together inviting. The pesky attraction she previously felt was starting to come back to her and it confused the blonde. This was Santana Lopez, the girl who used every opportunity she got to make Brittany feel like crap. There was no way the tempting rasp to the brunette's voice or the overwhelming warmth of her body heat or the tingly feeling settling in the pit of Brittany's stomach was going to change that.

"Um," Brittany cleared her throat awkwardly, scooting as far away from Santana as the limited space allowed. She racked her foggy brain for something, anything, to say that would erase the serious case of butterflies Santana's close proximity was suddenly giving her. "So… do you come here often?"

The question snapped Santana back to her senses and she leaned away from the clearly uncomfortable blonde. She knew she'd been far too forward with her actions and should have expected Brittany's reaction but it still stung. She plucked a breadstick from the basket in the middle of the table and shrugged. "The breadsticks are bomb, the best part is they _have_ to give you as much as you ask for. I knew this kid that demanded they fill a wheelbarrow up with breadsticks and they couldn't say no."

"A wheelbarrow full of breadsticks?" Bright blue eyes widened at the absurdity of the statement.

Santana munched on her breadstick and leaned back in her seat. "Ye_p_."

"Seriously?"

The brunette reached for another breadstick and took a generous bite, meeting Brittany's incredulous gaze. "Seriously."

"Who would want a wheelbarrow full of breadsticks?"

Santana froze at the inquiry, already half way through her fourth breadstick. A rare flush spread across her tanned cheeks. A flush that failed to escape Brittany's notice.

She arched a brow at the comically frozen brunette. Santana Lopez, self proclaimed badass, was _blushing_. Had hell frozen over? Blue eyes widened once more, an amused little smirk sliding across soft pink lips. "A wheelbarrow, huh?"

The dark haired teen gaped at the blonde, the flush against her cheeks worsening.

Brittany couldn't help but think it was cute. The way big bad Santana Lopez was speechless and blushing and looking at her like a four year old that just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. The blonde immediately scolded herself for thinking the brunette was cute. She shook the thought from her head and pushed forward. "Where did you get a wheelbarrow?"

"I…" Santana felt like her face was on fire. She knew she must've been as red as a tomato and Brittany's subtle jeers and knowing smirk weren't helping. "Whatever." She huffed out, her cheeks cooling as she regained her bearings. "They have really good breadsticks."

The '_date_' continued with mostly pleasant (a surprise to Brittany) conversation. The blonde hadn't expected Santana to be so civil with her since all of her previous conversations with the girl were not at all pleasant. Santana was surprisingly funny and charming and so freaking adorable when embarrassed. Brittany found herself wishing the girl before her, the girl she was having such a great time with, was anyone but the girl who'd tormented her since their first day of kindergarten. Santana, on the other hand, was simply ecstatic. After the embarrassment over the wheelbarrow full of breadsticks incident, the conversation flowed pretty smoothly between them. Leading to retellings of other embarrassing moments and random topics that ranged from favorite movies to Brittany's freakishly overweight cat. It was the longest conversation she'd had with Brittany without insulting the blonde and she sort of didn't want it to end. Especially after they'd finished off dessert and were making their way to their separate vehicles.

Santana stopped next to her motorcycle and caught the way awed blue eyes took in the kick ass piece of machinery. She zipped up her leather jacket, catching the blonde's attention, and offered Brittany one of her patented smirks. All sexy dimples and smoky brown eyes. "You wanna take her for a spin?"

"_Yes, please_…" The blonde whispered distractedly. Less than a millisecond later she blinked herself out of her daze. "I mean, would that be safe?" Blue eyes flickered between the motorcycle and Santana. "Because that motorcycle is worth way more than-"

"C'mon, Britt. You've been racing motocross for over four years. I trust you can handle this baby."

Brittany was momentarily taken aback by the fact that Santana knew she rode motocross coupled with the fact that the brunette used her actual name in a way that wasn't offensive. Not only her name, but a nickname. She called her by her nickname and the way the blonde liked how it'd sounded falling from Santana's lips had her entering a mini panic attack. She wasn't interested in Santana _that way_. It wasn't possible. No way. Nu-uh. Not even a little bit.

"Here." The dark haired teen shoved a helmet in Brittany's arms before the blonde could protest or worse, question her about her sudden knowledge regarding the blonde's hobbies. "What are you waiting for?" Santana gestured toward the bike with a subtle jut of her chin. "Hop on."

Deciding to ignore her own conflicted emotions, Brittany did as told. Slipping the helmet on and straddling the motorcycle with practiced ease. Motocross was a guilty pleasure of hers that not very many people knew about. Quinn had told her once that it made Brittany seem too butch to fit the Cheerio image and ever since then she made it a point to keep her hobby hush-hush. More to appease her friend than anything else. The last thing Brittany expected was for Santana to get on behind her. For the swell of breasts and the spicy scent of the other girl's perfume to send her head spinning and her heartbeat accelerating. To have her feeling that unwanted attraction again.

Santana placed her hands over Brittany's on top of the handlebars. She couldn't resist the urge to lean into the blonde, to breathe in her scent and relish in the awesomeness of it all. She barely recognized her own voice, gravelly and chocolaty and sounding something like velvet against the cold night air. "Just press this button right here… and then turn the key…"

At the instruction the engine rumbled to life. They both sat completely still, trapped in the semi heavy moment that settled between them. Neither girl dared to look at the other as Santana's hands slid leisurely along Brittany's bare forearms before settling around the blonde's waist. The action was more than Brittany was willing to let herself interpret.


	3. The Con

**A/N:**

**WOW! You guys are just such magnificent readers that I can't stand not to give you more. Your awesome reviews make me want to post faster! Here's another update for you wonderful people before I settle down to stuff my face with junk food and cuddle my beautiful lady while watching my bootleg of **_Pitch Perfect_. **  
**

**(P.S. Please excuse Santana's cowardice. She can't help it! =P)**

* * *

No matter how hard she tried Brittany couldn't get Santana out of her mind. She spent the entire weekend daydreaming about the brunette and their date. Their _pretend _date. Her cheeks flushed at the slip up. It was getting increasingly harder not to think of the outing as a real date. Santana had been a totally different person than Brittany was used to. Instead of the usual bitchy or broody the cheerleader saw a side of Santana that was… sweet. An absentminded smile slipped across her lips at the thought.

"Please tell me the ridiculous rumor about you being on a _date_ at BreadstiX with _Santana Lopez_ isn't true."

Brittany's blush worsened at the statement. Quinn's accusation, along with her sudden appearance, wiped the smile from the taller blonde's face.

"Oh my god! It _is_ true! What the hell, Brittany? Does Santana even swing that-"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Explain." Quinn stopped in the middle of the hall, Brittany following suit.

Brittany mentally prepared herself for the plethora of questions her friend would soon be barraging her with. "It wasn't an actual date."

"What is that even supposed to mean, Brittany? And what happened to Prince Charming?"

A heavy sigh escaped Brittany, saddened blue eyes staring down at her bright white cheer shoes and a hint of a pout forming at her lips. "I was stood up. Again. I was about to leave when Santana showed up out of nowhere and forced me to pretend to be on a date with her because one of her exes was there and she didn't want to look like she was alone."

By the end of the explanation Quinn looked even more incredulous. "And why, exactly, did you _help_ her?"

"In the locker room last week, she saw who it was and she promised to help me out if I helped her out."

The head cheerleader's expression shifted from disbelieving to excited in a matter of seconds. "She _saw_ Romeo? Who is he? Is he hot?"

Brittany ignored to question entirely. "Where did you even hear this rumor?"

"Everyone is talking about it. There's a picture up on JBI's blog of the two of you getting a little _too_ cozy on your '_not date'_."

The information had Brittany worried. If it was on JBI's blog then that meant Santana was bound to know about the rumor and there was a possibility the brunette would freak out. Or lash out. At her or the creepy little nerd was still to be determined. Quinn hadn't even suspected that Santana was gay and the girl obviously didn't go around proudly proclaiming the fact. Which Brittany totally didn't understand. Santana Lopez was as cocky as they came and projected the image of truly not giving a fuck.

The blonde's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of said badass. Confused blue eyes took in the dark haired figure leaning against her car. Gaze traveling from the brunette's bright red high heels, up along her tanned legs, ghosting over the tight fabric of her dress, and pausing briefly at her cleavage before landing on Santana's face. Brittany thought she caught a flash of panic swirling in brown eyes but wrote it off once she took in the rest of Santana's features. The brunette was pretty much glowering at her.

Santana turned her attention toward Quinn, vicious words pointed at the ready. "Fuck off, Fabray. Brittany and I are going to have words."

"I'm not going anywhere, _Lezpez. _If you think you can-"

"The fuck did you just call me?" Santana looked livid. Looked about ready to pounce on Quinn.

"It's ok, Q." Brittany took a step toward Santana, turning to face the other blonde with a forced smile. "I'll be fine."

Quinn scampered off with one last glare at the fuming brunette. A look of uncertainty momentarily slipped across Santana's pretty features before it was gone. Her jaw set as she watched Quinn walk away through narrowed eyes. Bitches like Quinn Fabray were the reason she hadn't announced her sexuality. Santana spent years building up a reputation for being a badass and there was no way she was going to give people something to hold over her.

Brittany turned back to Santana after mentally preparing herself for the inevitable confrontation. Before she could address Santana, she caught a glimpse of something through her car window. That something being another Secret Admirer gift. A bright smile lit up her face and she pulled her car door open to retrieve the item. A squeal of pure delight slipping out of her mouth and snapping Santana out of her reverie.

Santana's attention shifted to the blonde. Softening brown eyes taking in Brittany's awed expression as she opened the little music box. As she found the new handwritten love note sitting neatly inside. Took in the way Brittany's blue eyes sparkled while watching the ballerina figure twirl as the music played. Neither of them noticed the adoring smile that'd plastered itself across Santana's face.

"The song…" Distracted by her endeavor to commit her secret crush's reaction to memory, whispered words fell involuntarily from her full lips. "It's _Songbird _by Fleetwood Mac."

Brittany was simply mesmerized by the song, by the twirling ballerina. She couldn't bring herself to look away. Couldn't wipe the massive smile from her face. "How did you know?"

"It's… special to me." Santana breathed out. Hypnotized by Brittany. By her beautiful smile and her twinkling eyes and all of the feelings that were stirring inside of her as she watched the blonde. "Brittany, listen, _I'm_ your se-"

Brittany's eyes widened as they settled upon Santana. "Were you here when she left this? Did you see her? Is that why you were waiting for me?"

Santana felt like she'd just been slapped across the face. Her chocolate colored eyes hardened almost instantly. She let her practiced smirk take over, features shifting into her usual mask of badassery. The lies dripping from her tongue with an ease she wished she didn't possess. Why couldn't Brittany just _see_ her? "The chick is one smooth criminal. I saw her leaving that thing in your ride from across the lot. She saw me creeping up on her and took off. I know I owe you and everything but no way in hell am I running in these heels."

"You really saw her? Did you recognize her?"

"Only caught, like, a glimpse of her or whatever." Santana shrugged. Playing it off like she wasn't literally breaking down inside. "Anyway, I'm out. Catch you tomorrow." She pushed off of her leaning position against Brittany's car and moved to leave. Taking three steps toward her own vehicle across the lot before calling over her shoulder. "Oh and, Pierce? You better kill those rumors about us. Wouldn't want your mystery girl to get jealous."

Brittany huffed as she watched Santana strut away, her blue eyes unconsciously landing on the brunette's ass. She caught herself looking and turned away with a heated blush, fumbling to get into her car. Once safely inside with her gaze firmly in her lap, she extracted the note from its place inside of the music box. Reading over the words with a smile, butterflies appearing in her tummy.

_'Brittany, _

_I know, I know. I'm a complete coward. Every time I get close to you my heart does this thing where it swells up like a balloon, my hands get all clammy, and I don't know. I never seem to do what I mean to do. I really want to tell you how I feel in person but I can't do that until I find the courage I keep losing. I know I'm running out of apologies but please accept this gift. The melody it plays is special to me and it's never failed at making me smile._

_Your Secret Admirer'_

Brittany smiled softly at the note, her heart thudding excitedly beneath her chest. She didn't even know who this girl could be yet with every note, with every trinket of affection, she felt herself falling for the mystery behind the words. With the elated flutter of her heart came an anxious churning in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't think of her Secret Admirer without a flash of dark hair and brown eyes and that insufferable smirk interrupting her thoughts. It irked her. The way Santana Lopez seemed to be invading her thoughts lately. It never once occurred to her that the abrasive brunette was her mystery girl.

* * *

Brittany stared at the items laid out atop her desk, brows furrowed. Her blue eyes glided over the gifts she received from her Secret Admirer over the past couple of weeks. She was racking her brain trying to figure out who this mystery girl was. Was it someone she knew? Was it some random person she'd never actually spoken to? There were so many questions. So many possibilities. It was driving her crazy. All she wanted was to meet the girl that went through all the trouble of planning and implementing the romantic gestures. Meet the girl who was slowly winning her over with the little displays of affection. Even though Quinn had warned her it might be one of McKinley High's social outcasts, Brittany didn't care. If her Secret Admirer went through so much just to show her that she cared then the girl at least deserved a chance.

"_Ooo la la_. Did you get a new boyfriend, sweetie?" Mrs. Pierce breezed into her daughter's room, her blue eyed gaze landing upon the items on Brittany's desk. She knew a love note when she saw one and the three little slips of paper set before her daughter were _most definitely_ love notes. The older blonde caught a glimpse of the super girly handwriting on the notes before Brittany hastily hid them from sight. "Or should I expect to meet your new _girl_friend, hm? Who is she? Is she pretty?"

Brittany flushed with embarrassment. Her relationship with her parents was a good one. The Pierces were both open, loving people who supported their children as individuals. Her family had an open communication type of relationship so they knew about and accepted Brittany's sexuality. Although her mother talked openly with her about boys and girls, Brittany felt embarrassed discussing her Secret Admirer. A part of her felt like it was a secret only she should be privy to however, she couldn't _not_ tell her mom. The woman might constantly tease her and was oftentimes the source of her public humiliation but she always gave the best advice.

"I don't have a girlfriend, Mom." Brittany sighed, the nervous flush across her cheeks worsening. "_Yet_… Maybe? I, um, I have a Secret Admirer."

"Oh, _I_ _see_." The twinkle in her mother's eyes was unnerving Brittany. "So you have a _Secret Admirer_ that's showering you with expensive gifts."

"Mom it's just a charm bracelet, a cute stuffed panda, and a music box." Brittany attempted to alleviate the burning at her cheeks by turning her gaze to the items, away from her mother's twinkling eyes and knowing stare.

"Britt-baby, your mother _knows_ expensive jewelry when she sees it and that bracelet your wearing is definitely _Tiffany's_."

Brittany stared at the silver bracelet around her wrist. No way was it _that_ expensive. What high school kid had the kind of money to afford expensive jewelry? She could only think of a handful of possible suspects, none of which could be her Secret Admirer.

Mrs. Pierce opened the little music box curiously. A soft laugh escaping her when she took in the little blonde haired, blue eyed ballerina twirling around in the center. "Your admirer has good taste. The ballerina looks a lot like you."

"Really?" Brittany stared at the figurine. Noticing the similarities for the first time.

Their conversation was halted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. The older blonde stood from her seat with a jovial smile. She tucked a strand of Brittany's golden hair behind hear ear before exiting the room. Softly singing the words of the tune coming from the music box as she made her way down the stairs and toward the front door. _"The songbirds keep singing like they know the score… and I love you I love you I love you…"_

The singing faded from Brittany's hearing once her mother made her way to the bottom of the stairs. The lyrics caught her attention and she decided she really needed to hear the song. She opened the browser on her computer and started a Google search. Just as she was about to click play she heard a voice she never expected to hear conversing with her mother.

Without a second thought Brittany rushed downstairs to intercept what could've been a horrendous outcome only to stop halfway down the stairs, finding her mother smiling brightly at their unexpected houseguest. What shocked the blonde even more than the fact that Santana Lopez was randomly standing on her doorstep was the brunette's unusual demeanor. The supposed bad girl was smiling back at Brittany's mother in a way completely different from her usual cocky or vicious smirks. Santana was also dressed more conservatively. Well, conservative for Santana anyway. Brittany couldn't stop herself from unconsciously checking the brunette out. It was seriously becoming a very bad habit of hers as of late. The caramel skinned girl was wearing a skintight (as per usual) floral print dress with a rare non-leather jacket and cute knee length boots. She noted the way the color of the dress brought out the brunette's skin tone. Noted the way Santana's luscious dark hair, usually a mess of tousled waves, framed her face in tamed ringlets.

"I apologize for stopping by unannounced, Mrs. Pierce. My name is Santana Lopez. I go to school with Brittany." Brittany especially noted the way Santana seemed to be participating in polite conversation with her mother. The blonde was sure she'd entered the Twilight Zone. Santana Lopez was anything but polite. "I was wondering if she happened to be in?"

Seeing the brunette all prettied up and presentable looking had Brittany looking down at her own attire in pure horror. There was no way she could let Santana see her in her favorite cartoon ducky nightshirt and a pair of unflattering sweatpants. She would never be able to live down the taunting she would surely receive.

"Of course, come right on in." Her mother stepped aside to let the teen in. It was greatly apparent that the brunette's charm had won the older woman over. "Brittany is up in her room gushing over her Secret Admirer."

Brittany panicked, an embarrassed flush running to the tips of her ears at the teasing intonation in her mother's voice. She totally just told Santana freaking Lopez that Brittany was _gushing_ over a girl like a lovesick twelve year old. Not to mention, the woman let Brittany's tormentor of over a decade into their home. So not cool. Her mother was embarrassing her and there was no way in hell she was letting Santana see her dressed like she was. Brittany rushed up the stairs and into her room, dressing in record time. She managed to struggle into a cute off the shoulder top and a pair of denim shorts before her mother popped into her room with Santana trailing behind her.

The younger blonde didn't miss the glint in her mom's eyes as she took in Brittany's new outfit. The glint in her eyes only intensified when she looked pointedly at Santana who failed to notice the exchange between the two Pierce women. The brunette was far too distracted by the fact that she was actually inside of Brittany Pierce's bedroom.

"You know the rules, Brittany. The door stays unlocked when you have a special guest over."

"Mom!" Brittany could feel her face heat up at the statement. "Santana isn't a _special_ _guest_. We're just friends from school."

Mrs. Pierce simply nodded. Fighting a giggle at the sight of Santana's wide eyes and the adorable red tint to her daughter's face. "Alright, sweetie. No need to get flustered. It was an honest mistake."

"I-I'm _not_ flustered!" Brittany stuttered out while attempting to give her mother a look that said _'please stop embarrassing me and leave already'_.

When Santana turned her amused brown eyes to Brittany's frantic blue, the older blonde took the opportunity to give her daughter a wink and a thumbs up before scuttling away. The actions only served to intensify Brittany's already frazzled nerves. She merely gaped after her mother's retreating figure. Stunned to silence.

"So," Santana cleared her throat awkwardly, gaining Brittany's attention. "Your mom is, uh, interesting. Does she asks all of your _friends_ if they practice safe sex or is that reserved for your," Santana regained her stunted confidence with a teasing smirk. "_Special guests_?"

The comment had Brittany's blush returning full force. "What are you doing here? In my house? How do you even know where I live?"

"Let's just say I received a little warning message from your stalker."

"What?" Stupefied by the response and a little bothered by the way Santana referred to her mystery girl as a stalker, Brittany's brows furrowed. A displeased frown curving at the edges of her mouth.

"Don't believe me?" Santana arched a brow at the blonde. She'd expected the distrustful look her crush was giving her, what she hadn't expected was the way it made her feel. Like she wasn't worthy of Brittany's trust.

Brittany crossed her arms, giving Santana a look that said _'why should I believe you'_.

"Figured as much." Santana shrugged, snuffing out her turbulent emotions in a valiant attempt to keep up her mask of stoicism. She pulled out a piece of paper that looked suspiciously like the one Brittany's love notes were written on and handed it over to the blonde. "Here. See for yourself."

Brittany eyed the scrap of stationary warily. Fighting to hide the confusion and surprise whirling inside of her. She took in the handwritten scrawl across the paper and the intricate design that was present on each and every one of the notes she'd received from her Secret Admirer. There was no mistaking that the note came from her admirer. With a tentative hand, she accepted the note from Santana. Her sapphire eyes skimming over the words with a slowly growing smile. It was basically a warning for Santana to stay away from Brittany. The blonde thought it was sweet. How protective her admirer was being. The girl had written to Brittany that she was a coward but Brittany saw bravery in the action. Threatening Santana Lopez, even anonymously, was a big no-no.

Santana avidly watched the emotions slipping across Brittany's face. Absorbing the smile playing across glossed pink lips and the admiring sparkle in those fascinating blue eyes. She knew it was stupid, knew that writing the note would only be a means of dragging herself deeper into her own lies. She wrote it on a whim. She wanted a reason to see Brittany, wanted an excuse to be near her secret crush. To spend more time with her. _'Yep, it's official. You, Santana Lopez, are a foolish coward.'_

"I don't understand." Brittany snapped out of her daze, her blue eyes hardening as they met stoic brown. "Why are you telling me about this?

The self proclaimed badass shrugged. Internally deflating at the look Brittany was giving her. "It's obvious. Your girl is _jealous_ and we should milk it, maybe it'll flush the bitch out of hiding."

"_Why_ are you helping me? I mean… it's not that I don't appreciate it but-"

"It's simple, Pierce." Chocolate colored eyes darkened, a hint of a snarl threatening full lips. "I promised I would help you find out who this girl is and I don't go back on my word. No need to get all sentimental over it. It's just a suggestion." Santana ignored the voice in her head screaming that it was all a horrible idea. That she was digging her own grave. Because, really, the whole thing was a pathetic excuse for her to get closer to Brittany without admitting she was the girl's Secret Admirer. "You can say _no_. We both know being seen with me could ruin your whole goody two shoes rep."

Brittany fought the urge to huff indignantly at the other girl. "My reputation wouldn't be the only one on the line."

"I don't give a fuck about what people think of me." Santana proclaimed, anger swimming in her dark eyes.

"If that were true, you wouldn't be hiding who you are."

"Who I choose to sleep with isn't anyone's business but my own."

"That's not what-"

"I have to go. If you decide to take me up on my offer I'll meet you outside of the Cheerios locker rooms after you've finished prancing around in those ridiculously short skirts with your band of screeching banshees."

The steaming brunette took off without waiting for a response. Brittany listened to the brief but polite goodbye exchanged between Santana and her mother downstairs. Literally face palming when she heard her mother's insistence that Santana visit more often. She moved to her bedroom window, watching Santana get into a cherry red sports car and speed off. She wondered how many vehicles the girl actually had before turning her attention away from the quickly disappearing vehicle. Brittany didn't know what to do about Santana's suggestion and she only had until tomorrow morning to decide. It was going to be a long night.


	4. Intervention

**A/N:**

**I love you guys! YES! Santana is a total douche and a coward with her defensiveness. I love the way she freaks out it's so terribly fun to write. I wanted to have the whole story up before Wrex The Halls tonight in San Diego but that didn't pan out. Yay! Tegan and Sara! If you hadn't already noticed the story and chapter titles have been titles of Tegan and Sara songs. So excited. While I'm off rockin' out and getting shit faced here's another chapter for you wonderful readers!**

**Spoiler Alert: Kissage! Yum!**

* * *

Bright and early on Tuesday morning, Santana found herself leaning nonchalantly against a wall just outside of the Cheerios locker room. Decked in her usual badass attire. There was no denying that she looked fucking sexy in her ripped black skinny jeans, a red plaid shirt unbuttoned just enough to display her ample cleavage, fashionable but kick ass boots, dark sunglasses, and a signature leather jacket. As time passed she watched the growing amount of students shuffle into the halls of McKinley High School. Watched them blatantly stare at her. She didn't have an actual class until third period, her second period being independent study, which none of the bottom feeders around her knew. Leading them to _assume_ she showed up late every day. Santana never bothered to correct the rumor because it only added to her badass reputation. So catching Santana Lopez, McKinley's infamous rebel, in the halls long before classes even started had the rumor mill churning.

Santana had come to the conclusion that her feelings for Brittany were seriously fucking with her life altering decision making skills. She was fretting over what the hell she was doing waiting for Brittany outside of the Cheerios locker room. If Brittany went along with Santana's (seriously dysfunctional) plan then _boom_! Santana would have practically shoved herself out of the closet. The entire school would _know_, for a fact, that Santana Lopez was a lesbian and the thought terrified her way more than she felt it ought to. She might have come to terms with her sexual identity and, if anyone asked, wouldn't be ashamed to admit she love the ladies but she wasn't ready for that kind of public announcement.

The dark haired girl was so lost in her anxious thoughts she didn't notice Brittany standing right in front of her until the blonde uttered out a clipped, strange sounding: "Hi..."

Santana managed a practiced grin, about to say something taunting back in return. The teasing words died on the tip of her tongue when Brittany suddenly pressed their lips together in a quick but electrifying kiss. It was little more than a peck but it left Santana shocked to her very core. Her dark sunglasses concealed the myriad of emotions flittering through hazy brown eyes. She was frozen, stunned to silence by the action. By the hint of pink across Brittany's freckled cheeks, the scent of the blonde's skin, the feel of her warm breath, the dizzying sight of fluttering golden lashes and swirling sapphire eyes. So close. She was _so fucking close_ that Santana could taste her. Could bridge the barely there gap between them and feel those soft lips again. Could tangle her trembling fingers in blonde hair and-

"What the hell are you _doing_, Brittany?!"

Quinn's venomous hiss had Santana responding to the question without thinking, her senses returning along with her haughty smirk. "With all the lesbian porn you watch I would've assumed you'd be used to some girl on girl action, Fabgay."

Quinn was stunned, her furious hazel eyes shooting between the two girls. The taunting jab caused her to gape like a fish, at a loss for retort.

Santana used her regained bravado to curl her arm around Brittany's waist. Wordlessly grabbing the blonde's bag, slinging it onto her shoulder, and leading Brittany toward her first period class. She barked at the crowd of students to get lost and they quickly dispersed, scurrying as far away from the couple as possible. When they were far enough away from listening ears Santana shoved Brittany into an empty classroom. Easily cornering the surprised blonde against a desk. The brunette's expression gave everything away.

"What the fuck did you kiss me for?" The angry, and slightly panicked, tremble in Santana's voice made Brittany grimace.

The cheerleader was still in mild shock over her own actions and the brunette's altogether menacing demeanor had her stuttering. "I-I… I don't… I wasn't… I thought it would be a good idea to get the rumors out there ASAP so, um, k-kissing you seemed like the fastest way to… do that."

"This was _my_ idea, Pierce. You should have fucking warned me you were planning to kiss me in front of half the school."

"It was a spur of the moment decision. I didn't know-"

"A warning would have sufficed." Santana backed away from the blonde, putting some much needed distance between them before she gave in to her urges and jumped the girl's bones. "Discussion. End of."

Satisfied with Brittany's silence, the brunette turned away and made her way to the exit.

Brittany didn't have a choice but to follow because Santana still had her backpack. Plus, she wasn't done with their conversation and didn't appreciate Santana reprimanding her like a child. "What was I supposed to say? _'Hey Santana, I'm going to kiss you now'_?"

Santana stopped next to a row of lockers with a heavy sigh and turned to face the blonde. "Look, it just took me by surprise and I hate surprises. Let's just forget about it, ok?"

Clenching her jaw and nodding begrudgingly, Brittany took the explanation as the closest she would get to an apology for Santana's behavior. They continued on toward Brittany's first period class in relative silence. Mostly ignoring the stares from passing students. Well, Brittany was ignoring the stares while Santana openly glared at the offenders. Once they arrived at the door to the classroom Santana handed over the cheerleader's bag. Her features still set somewhere between stoic and irate. Brittany accepted her bag with a terse thank you before turning to go in.

Santana caught Brittany's hand. Her voice soft and nearly inaudible over the din of crowded the hallway. "_Hey_."

Drawn in by the timid quality of Santana's voice and the gentle hand holding her own, Brittany turned toward the brunette. She certainly didn't expect the other girl completely invading her personal space. She couldn't decipher the dark glint shining in Santana's eyes or the inviting curve at her full lips.

When Santana spoke again her voice was an alluring mix between bitingly sarcastic and purposefully teasing. "_I'm going to kiss you now_."

Then the dark haired vixen was kissing her, soft and sultry and slow. Brittany's eyelids fluttered shut at the feel. She ignored the frantic thoughts rushing through her mind on overdrive because holy crap Santana Lopez was _kissing_ her and it felt so, _so_ very good. It was all she could do to lose herself to the sensations. To lose herself to the tingling buzz at her lips, give in to the urge and simply _indulge_. Lips parted and tongues entered the equation, eliciting an embarrassing gasp from Brittany when their tongues brushed. The taste of Santana's lip gloss had her head spinning and an insistent throb settling in the pit of her stomach. The soft little noise was enough to send Santana spiraling out of control. Her hand slipped around the back of the blonde's neck, pulling the girl closer. Pressing their bodies tightly together. Deepening their rapidly intensifying kiss. She was seriously on the verge of dragging Brittany into the nearest vacant space and devouring her.

"Warned you." The brunette managed to pull herself away, hot breath caressing Brittany's blushing ear in a husky mocking whisper before she was strutting away. Leaving the blonde to stare hazily after her until Santana disappeared around a corner.

Brittany was snapped out of her daze by the clearing of someone's throat. She shook the fuzziness from her brain to find her first period teacher looking annoyed and gesturing for Brittany to enter the suddenly packed room. "Now that I have your attention, Miss Pierce. Would you care to join the rest of the class?"

* * *

"The hell are you losers doing here?" Santana addressed the four idiots who were occupying her lair under the bleachers. They weren't necessarily her friends because Santana Lopez didn't _have _friends. They didn't share secrets or have meaningful conversations about life or hang out at each other's houses after school or anything. They were more like fellow badasses and the few people she let herself be seen with at school. None of them cared enough about anything to give a flying fuck. They sometimes hung out under the bleachers drinking and smoking. And sometimes they pulled pranks together or fucked around with some nerds. That, however, was the extent of their camaraderie.

She made her way toward the beat up old couch in the center, glaring at the grinning idiot sitting atop it. Her stride paused only briefly when a shrill voice emitted from the iPhone in the dark haired boy's hand. "Puckerman! Tell Satan this is an intervention!"

"What the fuck do you mean by _'intervention'_?" Santana snatched the phone from Puck, glaring down at the annoying face she found on the screen. Her best gay merely glared right back at her, sitting pretty in some fancy chair and sporting his Dalton Academy uniform. "And why did you let Puck sit his nasty ass on my couch, Kurt?" The brunette didn't wait for an explanation, her sharp brown eyes focusing back on the offending idiot. "You still getting it on with, Fabitch?"

Puck's sleazy grin widened and he waggled his dark brows. "Why? You proposing a threesome?"

The comment only served to piss her the fuck off. Santana lifted him by the shirt collar, pointing to the exit with the hand holding his phone. "Told you not to fucking speak to me until you got rid of the not so Virgin Mary."

"Santana! Let him go." Kurt used his stern voice, which had Santana letting go of Puck even though he wasn't even physically with them. Kurt just had that kind of affect on her and Puck… well, she still wanted to beat that damned grin off of his face.

The air remained tense as Santana glared at her ex bro until another voice cut in. The Mack was all for knifing a bitch but when Snixx came out all hell broke loose and she didn't feel like getting caught in the crossfire. "Jeez, Lopez. Relax."

Aphasia, who was mostly impartial over the entire affair, looked up from counting her stolen lunch money to add in her two cents. Voicing what no one else wanted to say out loud. "You best take a chill pill 'cause I didn't sign up for a visit from auntie Snixx."

Lauren scoffed from her position against a rusty old bench press. "Don't listen to these _nerds_. Bring on the violence."

Kurt sighed from miles away, shaking his head wearily and gaining Santana's attention. "Calm down, Santana. Puckerman is your friend. We're _all_ your friends."

The comment garnered an eye roll from Santana although she begrudgingly let Puck off with an irritated glare and plopped down on her couch. Taking up the entire space and forcing Puck to move. He found a spot leaning against a pillar and shook his head at her antics. Santana was one of his closest friends until he announced he was dating Quinn and they had a huge falling out. One that resulted in Santana punching him square in the face after he'd said maybe Quinn was right, maybe the reason Santana didn't have any actual friends really was because she was just a bitch. They hadn't spoken since and had he not seen the brunette put the _Tiffany's_ bracelet in Brittany's locker that day or listened to Quinn's bitching about what Brittany told her he probably wouldn't have called Kurt. Nevertheless he did care about Santana as a friend and didn't want to see her get burned by whatever the hell she thought she was doing messing with Brittany Pierce. He'd known about Santana's crush since middle school. Plus, Santana really needed to work on her leering.

"Tell me what's going on, Kurt." Santana glared at the phone once more. "I don't need an '_intervention'_." An upset frown pulled at her lips. "I'm not addicted to anything."

"Oh, sweetie." Kurt's voice was all sad and sugary. His clear blue eyes softening as he stared back at the girl. "You're in denial. It's ok. We're all here to help you through this."

Santana rolled her eyes in exasperation. He _so_ wasn't making any sense. "Will someone please tell me what the hell this is about?"

"Come on, S." Mack settled the other brunette with a look that said _'you know exactly what this is about'_. "You've been crushing hardcore on Brittany Pierce since kindergarten and-"

"Say what?!" Aphasia stuffed her stolen cash in her jacket pocket; suddenly way more interested in the intervention thing she was supposed to be participating in. She'd been paying more attention to the vending machine she was breaking into earlier than Mack's explanation about why they had to meet under the bleachers. "You're telling me Snixx has a thing for the stupid white bitch who thinks the square root of 4 is _rainbows_?"

Lauren's cackled _'that was priceless'_ was overshadowed by Santana's enraged growl. "Shut your fucking mouths! She _isn't _stupid!"

Kurt tried once again to verbally halt Santana while Mack and Puck rushed to physically hold the brunette back before she could launch herself at a cruelly grinning Aphasia. Santana fought against their hold on her, yelling curses at the girl in Spanish. Lauren lumbered over from her seat atop the old bench press to nonchalantly push Santana back down into her seat. Holding the still struggling brunette down with her vice like grip.

"This is _exactly_ why you need an intervention, Santana!" Kurt's exasperated screaming sounded from the iPhone, now in Puck's hand and being held in front of Santana who was still scowling at Aphasia. Upon finding Kurt's half worried, half disappointed face staring down at her Santana started to cool down. Listening to his words. "You're acting crazy. I didn't believe Puck at first when he told me you were doing all these little romantic gestures in order to woo your way into Brittany's heart but... really? _'Fake'_ dating her in a vain attempt to flush out her Secret Admirer which, hello, is _you_? What happens when she finally realizes it was you the whole time?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead! Everything just kind of," Santana sighed heavily, shoulders slumped and expression falling. "Happened."

"Dayum, Snixx." Aphasia's expression shifted from smug to concerned. "You got it _bad_."

"Why didn't you just tell her?" Puck intoned softly.

"I was going to. I just... _I don't know_. Every time I get close to telling her it's me, I'm the one who wrote her those letters and gave her those gifts, something always happens. I've been dropping hints like crazy but she... it's like she doesn't _see_ me. Like it wouldn't occur to her even if I yelled it at the top of my lungs."

"_Wow_. Seriously..." The voice had the group of friends turning toward the ominous figure standing at the entrance of the bleachers. "Wow. _You_'re Prince Charming?"

"Babe!" Puck looked mildly panicked, shooting an apologetic glance in Santana's direction before rushing toward his girlfriend. This _so_ wasn't good. "You've got it all wrong. Santana was-"

"Can it, Noah." Quinn's heavy stare never left the brunette who only glared right back. "I've been listening since _Lezpez_ started her little confession."

"You want me to cut her, S?" Mack stood from her perch next to Santana. Glaring the bitch down.

"I'm in." Zieces crossed her arms over her chest, her demeanor intimidating. "I've been wanting to bring the pain on her since she ruined my campaign for Homecoming Queen last year."

Mack and Lauren spared a glare at a bored looking Aphasia. "Shit. Don't be looking at me, bitches. You know I only got one more strike before they send me back to Ms. Hitchens."

"Girls!" They all turned toward the phone still in Puck's hand. "Nobody is cutting anyone! Puckerman! Let me talk to your lady."

Puck did as told despite the annoyed glare he received from his girlfriend.

"You're in on this too?" Quinn scoffed at Kurt. "If Brittany knew you-"

"She won't know because _you_ are not going to repeat a word of this to anyone."

"I'm not taking orders from-"

"Not a _word_, Quinn." Kurt gave the blonde a stern stare. "Or I'll tell everyone about our friend Lucy. You remember her, don't you."

Quinn gaped at the boy. It was clearly non negotiable. Barely anyone knew about her miraculous transition from _Lucy Caboosey_ the friendless, fat ass, large nosed freak to Quinn Fabray the pretty, popular, head cheerleader. "You would blackmail your own flesh and blood?"

"I learned from the best, my dear cousin. Or did you forget about all the times you threatened to tell my dad that I'm gay?"

Quinn's features softened slightly. She grabbed the phone from Puck, turning away from the group to speak more softly to her cousin. "I thought we were past that, Kurt. I didn't know my parents would react the way they did."

"It is in the past and I forgive you, _I do_. All I'm asking is for you to let Santana tell Brittany on her own."

"I know I come off as a cold hearted bitch sometimes but-"

Kurt scoffed, blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "Sometimes?"

"Okay," She rolled her eyes at the inquiry, a hint of a smirk playing at her lips. "_Most_ of the time. Anyway, the point is Brittany is my best friend and I can't keep something like this from her. I mean... Santana Lopez, the girl that's practically made her life hell for years, is her Secret Admirer. That's a really big secret to keep, Kurt."

"It's also a really big secret that isn't yours to tell."

After a few moments Quinn nodded in acquiescence. Passing the phone back to Puck. Her usual bitchy stare was back in place, hard hazel eyes meeting Santana's. "This isn't some sick joke to you? You're really in love with Brittany?"

A moment of tense silence blanketed the area. Puck, Lauren, Mack, and Aphasia exchanged _'oh shit'_ glances at Santana's telltale flinch. They all knew what was about to happen and how badly the oblivious cheerleader done fucked shit up.

"It's just a crush! I didn't say anything about..." Santana looked like she's having trouble spitting the word out. Her face flushed and features tense. "You know what?" She stood and rushed toward the exit. Not bothering to look at anyone as she hightailed it out of there. "I'm done with this shit."

"Nice going, _Fabray_." Lauren stared the cheerleader down.

"How is Lopez being a bitch _my_ fault?"

"Babe. How do I put this?" He ran a hand through his Mohawk, cautiously choosing his words. "Santana is... She has... uh, she's sort of allergic to-"

"The word freaks her out." Mack offered with a pop of her chewing gum and a shrug. To her the whole thing was becoming hopeless at a quickening pace. No way were they going to get Santana to bounce back after the Cheerio dropped the _'L'_ word.

"Word?" Quinn was honestly clueless. "What word?"

"_L-O-V-E_," Aphasia rolled her eyes. Adopting a vapid valley girl accent. "Like, duh."

"Quinn's faux pas aside." Kurt interrupted what was sure to end in a catfight. "What are we going to do? There's no way Santana is going to tell Brittany any time soon now that Quinn's slip up has her even more terrified."

They stared at each other mutely. Lauren was glaring daggers at Quinn. Quinn stared hard at the ground while contemplating how the hell she could've known Santana would react so strongly toward a simple word. Aphasia was back to counting her money. Mack continued popping her gum, lost in thought. Kurt was tapping his finger against his chin, shaking his head at an idea every few seconds.

It was Puck who broke the silence, a wicked grin gracing his handsome features. "I think have an idea."

Against his better judgment Kurt prompted the other boy for more detail. "We're listening."

"Well, _technically_, it's Santana's idea." The dark haired boy rubbed sheepishly at the back of his neck.

Kurt, whose patience was wearing incredibly thin, snapped at the boy. "Out with it already, Puckerman."

"We make Brittany's Secret Admirer jealous and force her into revealing herself."

* * *

"Okay." Brittany leaned forward in her seat opposite of Santana. Her bright blue eyes taking in Santana's part broody, part kicked puppy expression. It was kind of cute but the blonde really couldn't enjoy her ice cream with the brunette sitting across from her in a funk. Especially since Santana had barely touched the rocky road ice cream she'd made Brittany buy her. "What's wrong?"

Santana didn't even bother looking up at the girl. In truth she knew she should have parted ways with her crush after school ended but she couldn't stop herself from making up yet another excuse to spend more time with Brittany. They were out having ice cream on the premise that they needed to be seen together outside of school to make their unusual relationship believable. Brittany had bought it and the fact only made Santana feel even worse. She attempted to assuage Brittany's questioning with a shrug. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"You are not fine, Santana. Something is wrong. It's all over your face."

The brunette responded by cutely rubbing at her face, a hint of a pout jutting at her plump bottom lip. "No it's not."

"Alright. You don't have to tell me what's wrong." The blonde held up her hands in mock surrender. Fighting off the giggles that threatened to leave her at Santana's cute reaction but unable to subdue the amused smile at her lips. "But you need to quit being so… _mysterious_." She initially wanted to say _guarded _because that was the first word to pop into her mind when describing Santana's reluctance to share but decided against it. Figuring that the self proclaimed badass would be offended by it. "We're friends now so you can, you know, tell me things."

The statement was bittersweet for Santana. She always wanted to be closer to Brittany so hearing her crush tell her that they were friends made her both elated and depressed. She was happy because she felt honored that Brittany considered them to be close though she was upset by the fact that Brittany didn't see her as more than that. Kurt's words from the intervention repeated in her head, not helping her current situation at all. The whole thing just made her feel progressively worse about lying to Brittany.

"Hey." Brittany grabbed a hold of Santana's hand and ducked her head to meet the brunette's eyes. She couldn't explain what made her reach out for the other girl. Couldn't explain the incessant urge inside of her that had her wanting to wipe that depressing look from Santana's face and replace it with a smile. A growing part of her acknowledged that Santana had the cutest smile.

The unexpected contact had Santana's heart beating wildly beneath her chest and her downtrodden thoughts vanishing. When Brittany's hopeful blue eyes met her own and the blonde gave her the most beautiful smile, Santana couldn't help the twitch at her own lips in response. Brittany's hand was soft and warm and comforting in hers and the thought that it belonged there struck a chord so deep in Santana that she felt it in her bones. Making her ache and crave and long for more.

"We should go somewhere fun to cheer you up." Her smile only brightened as the dark haired girl smiled tentatively back at her.

Santana couldn't stop her heart from rattling her ribcage. The damnable organ was beating some kind of excited rhythm that thumped wildly and made it near impossible for her to hear herself speak past the pounding in her ears. "What do you have in mind?"

"How about I surprise you?"

Santana's pout returned at the suggestion. Her dark brows furrowing above soulful brown eyes. "I don't like surprises."

"Well, you'll like _my_ surprises." Brittany giggled at Santana, her other hand moving toward the brunette's face to poke playfully at her pouted bottom lip. "Because mine are the best."

Santana giggled at that, like, legit giggled for the first time in Brittany's presence. "I'm sure they are."

Brittany thought the brunette's giggle was even cuter than her pout. The way Santana's eyes crinkled and her nose scrunched and the way she threw her head back just so was the most adorable thing Brittany had ever seen. She never thought of the brunette as beautiful until that very moment, despite the strange bout of butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Brittany's smile widened considerably at the response. Without warning Brittany stood from her seat, pulling/dragging Santana toward her car, their hands still clasped together. Santana was hyper aware of the fact as she let the blonde drag her through the parking lot, a goofy grin involuntarily planting itself across her face. The day's upsetting events momentarily forgotten.


	5. I'll Take The Blame

**A/N:**

**I originally had the chapter start with a scene where Santana tries to confess and Brittany totally doesn't believe her then Santana retracts the confession because Brittany thinks it's a joke but this little story of mine was meant to be something light. No crazy angsty drama or plot twisties. So… super short chapter! Yay!**

**…**

**I mean… please don't hate me.**

* * *

"I don't get why _I_ have to do it. She's gonna pummel me."

"I still don't think this is a good idea. At all. Britt isn't-"

"Babe, chillax. It'll work. And on the off chance it doesn't..."

"Lopez is going to snap you twigs in half."

"Doesn't matter to me. I'm telling Snixx I had nothin' to do with it."

The group of conspirators whispered heatedly amongst themselves while keeping a cautious eye on their targets. Brittany and Santana were standing in front of Brittany's locker, looking a hell of a lot more friendly than everyone was used to. Over a week had passed since the unexpected couple started _dating_ and the entire school still hadn't grown accustomed to the sight.

"Get in position." Puck nudged Mack forward, earning a vicious glare from the brunette before she stalked off toward Brittany and Santana. Muttering under her breath about how she was going to kick him so hard in the balls if shit got out of control.

The smile that had found a near permanent home across Santana's face since her talk with Brittany over ice cream promptly vanished once the cheerleader opened up her locker. She glared in furious shock at the mess of bubblegum pink and candy apple red heart shaped balloons that floated out of her crush's locker. Brittany's surprised (and majorly ecstatic) squeal of delight wasn't helping to sooth the growing rage monster howling inside of Santana. She sure as fuck did _not_ put that shit in there!

"Surprise." A sudden voice coming from behind them caught their attention and they whirled around. Santana sporting a murderous glare while Brittany simply beamed at the girl before them who happened to be holding a balloon much like the ones that floated out of Brittany's locker. "I'm your, uh, secret admirer."**  
**


	6. So Jealous

**A/N:**

******Oh man. I couldn't help it! There had to be some kind of drama happening I suppose. On another note, two more chapters left until that happy ending I promised you guys! Without further ado, please enjoy my newest installment of craziness. :D**

* * *

_"I'm your, uh, secret admirer."_

Mack was two seconds away from bolting. Santana Lopez looked livid. Looked about ready to strangle "The Mack" to _death_ regardless of the chick's supposed family connections to the mafia. Brittany Pierce, however, was an entirely different story. All of Santana's hints came rushing back to her. Dark hair, nice ass, rich family, and Brittany remembered seeing Mack in the crowd at the intended meeting place after receiving the bracelet. The only thing nagging at Brittany was how the music box song tied in. Instead of continuing to worry over it she launched herself at Mack, their mouths meeting with a loud smack that had Santana seeing red and lusting for blood. Really, Brittany had horrible impulse control.

Santana watched Brittany kiss the other girl, her eyes practically glowing green with jealousy. What the actual _fuck_ was going on! The shock of the entire ordeal faded, leaving Santana with pure unbridled rage. She sprang into action, ripping the two apart before she could stop herself. "Come on, _Pierce_. You can't believe her! She's _not_ your mystery girl."

"What are you doing, Santana?" Brittany leveled the brunette with a very rare annoyed stare. "She's exactly what you described. She's the one you saw in the locker room and in the parking lot."

"_No_. She's _not_. This is bullshit!"

Mack continued with her directive, fully aware Santana might very well attack her at any given moment. The not so subtle thumbs up she received from Puck, who was safely hidden amongst the growing crowd, _really_ wasn't helping. "Yeah I am. I did the stuff with the presents and notes and romantic shit."

"No." Santana fully turned to face Mack. Rage radiating off of her in visible waves. "You. Fucking. Didn't."

"Oh, yeah?" Mack fought the urge to hightail it while she still had functioning body parts. "Then who did?"

* * *

The group of conspirators found themselves hiding away in the (mostly) abandoned choir room. No one used the room on Fridays and there was no way Santana would go looking for them there. Mack was nursing her split lip and swollen cheek while glaring at the lot of them. Not only did she take a punch from Snixx that knocked her the fuck out, she couldn't shake Brittany off. The girl was following her around like a lost puppy and she seriously wasn't down with that. She wasn't even into the ladies and yet there she was, pretending to be love sick over a chick just so she could help her idiot friend out. Her dark gaze landed on Noah Puckerman, the sting at her lip only mildly protesting as she spoke. "That… was a shit fucking plan, Puckerman."

A chorus of _'yeah'_s sounded from everyone except the boy himself.

"I know that it could've gone better but-" He raised his voice above the sounds of protest he received from the rest of the group. "_But_ Santana will fess up... eventually." Puck shrugged before admitting in a considerably weaker voice. "It's just going to take some time."

"Dude. There's no way I can keep this up until _eventually_." Mack shook her head fiercely. She'd rather take another punch from Snixx than keep up with Puckerman's stupid charade. "Either Santana is going to murder me or Brittany is going to wise up and realize I'm _not_ Santana. I mean," The brunette's brows furrowed. "The Secret Admirer. I mean," She sighed heavily. The whole thing was seriously confusing. "Whatever… you guys get what I'm trying to say."

"Well," Kurt voiced from the random laptop sitting on a chair next to Quinn. "At least we were able to get Santana jealous. Now all we need is to force a confession out of her."

Quinn rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. She had the perfect solution and the rejects in front of her were making the situation worse with their meddling. The resolution to the problem was so obvious it was ridiculous. "Everything would be so much easier if you would just let me tell Brittany _the truth_."

"This is something Santana has to do on her own." Kurt argued, a disapproving frown marring his features. "She has to stop running from it and face her fears."

"I'm with the Cheer Bitch." Mack ignored Quinn's agitated glare at the nickname. Hey, the blonde was still a cheerleader and a bitch. What was the problem with her pointing it out? "Brittany is already getting suspicious, keeps asking me about some bird song and a music box or something."

"The _Cheer Bitch_," Quinn threw the dark haired girl one of her harshest glares. She truly detested having to be around the group of misfits. If any of her squad members found her hiding away in the _choir room_ of all places with them she could kiss her reputation goodbye. Puckerman was lucky he was hot and that she happened to be in love with him. Otherwise she would have blabbed to the whole school already. "Happens to know that Santana gave Brittany a music box that plays some song that's supposed to be special to her."

"_Songbird_." The voice startled the group who all turned toward the man none of them noticed sitting in front of a piano in the choir room.

"Um... was he here the whole time?" Mack nudged Lauren who merely shrugged.

"Y'all are stupid." Aphasia deadpanned. "Creeper man's been here since we walked in." Her monotonous demeanor shifted into irritation as her gaze traveled from the piano man to the figure in the corner of the room. "And the midget in the corner has been raising her hand for the past five minutes."

"Wait, hold on," Kurt made a circling motion with his hand. "_Rewind_. What did the creepy piano man say?"

Brad rolled his eyes without turning to face them, repeating himself. "The song, its _Songbird_."

When he didn't receive a response he sighed heavily before starting to play the soft melody on his piano.

"I'm so lost right now." Puck was just staring into the distance because the whole ordeal was starting to fry his brain.

"Oh my sweet baby Jesus!" Kurt's face wasn't even on the screen any longer because he literally jumped up out of his seat. "The song! We can use the song!"

When Kurt's face settled back upon the screen, Mack recoiled. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

The Mack wasn't sure how she should feel about Kurt's next, unexpected question.

"How is your singing voice?"

Aphasia finally snapped when the obnoxiously smiling midget in the corner waved her raised hand frantically. "I ain't a teacher, girl! Say what you gotta say before I cut you!"

* * *

"Brittany, wait! I've been looking everywhere for y-"

Brittany whirled around harshly, the fury burning in her fierce blue eyes causing Santana to stop her frantic trek toward the blonde. "What do you want, Santana?"

The brunette couldn't hold Brittany's stare, couldn't shield herself from the venom in the blonde's words. "I need to tell you that I-"

"No." Brittany crossed her arms over her chest, glaring Santana down. How foolish had she been? To think Santana Lopez was suddenly her friend. That the girl had somehow changed her ways. That there was a softer side to the brunette. And then Santana had to go and hit someone. Not just _someone_, Brittany's Secret Admirer. The girl that'd gone through so much trouble trying to show Brittany that she was special. Her admirer had made her feel so special and then Santana had to go and ruin it. Mack was avoiding her, acting like she had no idea what Brittany was talking about half the time and it was obviously because of Santana. Brittany had come to the conclusion that Mack's odd behavior was due to Santana knocking the girl out for no apparent reason. "_I_ need to tell _you_ that what you did was _wrong_."

"Brittany… It wasn't like that. Mack isn't your Secret Admirer, _I_-"

"What is your problem, Santana? I thought we were friends. I thought I…" Brittany flushed at the almost slip up. She couldn't let Santana know _that_. She couldn't let anyone know she might have thought, just for a second, that she _liked_ Santana. Liked her in a way that was definitely more than friendly.

"Just listen to me please. The reason I-"

"I don't want to hear it." Brittany was surprised by her own voice. By the power and frustration and anger behind it. "I bet it's the same reason you've acted like such a bitch to me all these years."

Santana froze, shocked to silence. Never, not once had Brittany ever, shown such anger toward her. Never spoken to her with such bite in her voice. And no matter how many times Santana picked on the girl, Brittany never called her a mean name. _Bitch_… bitch was a name Santana was used to but the fact that it came from Brittany had her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach and dying a very painful death. Brittany had _no idea _how right she was. The reason Santana tormented her was the same exact reason she knocked Mack out. In that moment, while filled with pure devastation, Santana gave up, gave into hopelessness. Her face went blank and that pesky mask of stoicism slid into place so easily.

"See you around, Pierce."

Brittany instantly regretted the things she said as she watched Santana turn rigidly away from her and head down the empty hall. She really did value the friendship they formed and was still confused about her budding romantic feelings for Santana. Brittany didn't know what to think, what to _do._ She finally found her Secret Admirer. She should be ecstatic. Should be continuing her search for Mack so that they could discuss things. Yet, there she was. Staring after Santana's rapidly retreating figure and wondering why in the hell she felt like her world was crumbling. She chewed anxiously at her bottom lip, her blue eyes shifting from Santana to the opposite end of the hallway, contemplating whether she should go after Santana or continue searching for Mack. She didn't know why the choice was so difficult to make. It was obvious what she should do, obvious what was the right thing to do. And so Brittany turned away from Santana.


	7. You Wouldn't Like Me

**A/N:**

**Ok. So. How to put this… Hm… Well, I was in the middle of writing out the last chapter and then like, I dunno. Just got really freaking boooorrreeedd. Like I legit just stopped in the middle of typing out some dialogue (scene between Britt and her mom that I decided to edit out) and then boom! Bored. And that's when I started writing _Outside of Make Believe_**.** Anyhoo, here's this chapter. **

**(P.S. No throwing fruit please, I've been lured by the angsty drama angsty angst.)**

* * *

Santana was furious. Pissed at her friends for putting her in her current position. Angry with herself for letting things escalate. Mad at Brittany for not _seeing_ her, for not letting her explain. She was on the hunt and once she found those bastards she thought she could call her friends she was going to beat them into unrecognizable pulps. Well, she surmised, she would beat Mack into a bloody pulp and probably get a few vital swings at Puck before Lauren managed to restrain her and Aphasia ran away. The idiots had been hiding from her all weekend. Then out of nowhere she received a text from Puck asking to meet up in the auditorium after school. How dare they make Brittany think _Mack_ was her Secret Admirer. When she found them she was going to start the hurt party by strangling the dark haired girl's scrawny little neck. She was in the middle of imagining how she was going to beat each of them within an inch of their lives when she heard it. Music. The unmistakable melody of a piano sounding from the auditorium.

She stepped inside to find Brad at the piano, warming up with some scales. Her plan was to show up before Puck and the others got there so she could get the jump on them. When Brad spotted her the twitch of a smirk about his mouth was the only thing to break his usually stoic features. He stood as she made her way onto the stage.

"Sup, piano man?" Santana leaned against the piano, which earned her an admonishing look from Brad. She knew it irked him when she leaned against his precious piano. "You seen an idiot with a mohawk around here?"

Brad shrugged and shook his head.

"Good." She smirked evilly. She would be waiting when they arrived and there would be hell to pay. Until then... "How about we run through a song or two."

Brad pointed to the piano seat before walking off with an: "It's all you today."

"Hey! I thought we had a deal! _You_ play, _I_ sing!" Santana glared at him as he walked off the stage. "I can't play this thing!"

He didn't bother to spare a backward glance as he shrugged. Rolling his eyes at her antics. "Not my problem."

Once she was sure he had left the auditorium, a smile graced her lips and she shook her head. Piano guy was probably the coolest adult she ever met. And the fact that he wasn't scared of her or put off by her abrasive personality was refreshing. She could only name a few people who could put up with her attitude. She took a seat at the piano bench. Running her fingers lightly over the polished keys, her smile softening, and memories rushing through her. She thought back to piano lessons with her abuelo. His gruff laugh, the way he ruffled her hair, his twinkling brown eyes, and the absolute warmth in his smile. Her gaze moved to the sheet music propped up in front of her and her smile broadened when she saw the song title. Her abuelo would play the piano while singing _Songbird_ to her whenever she was sad and it never failed to cheer her up. The song held a special place in her heart. Giving Brittany the music box had been like giving the girl a piece of herself.

Her thoughts shifted to Brittany and her smile faltered slightly. Santana didn't know what to do about the entire horrendous situation. Every time she gained even the slightest hint of bravery and attempted to tell her long time crush that she was her Secret Admirer something would prevent her from doing so ((muahahaha… author prevents you from doing so!)). Something would just go _wrong_. Santana had been so close, so _very_ close to telling Brittany every thing and then her stupid friends had to go and ruin it all with some dumb ploy she _knew_ Puck had to be the mastermind behind because the plan was a shit fucking plan that only Puck could have been stupid enough to think up.

Dark brown eyes hardened and Santana's smile dropped fully, turning into a bitter frown. She could remember the way Brittany's entire face lit up when they turned to find Mack confessing to be her Secret Admirer. Could remember the joy shining in those too blue eyes and the beautiful smile that spread across Brittany's lips. Could easily remember the way she felt in that moment, the adoring swelling of her heart mixing horribly with the anguished plummeting of that same organ. What else could she have done but oppose Mack's claim on something that was all hers? Something that Santana had spent months building up the courage to do. Months planning and agonizing over. It wasn't fair. It wasn't _fair_ that Brittany had looked at Mack like she should have been looking at Santana. It wasn't fair that they'd taken that moment from her.

With the memories in mind she began to play the opening notes of the song, her frown deepening when she didn't feel the slightest bit better. Her raspy voice accompanied the soft melody, the lyrics rolling off of her tongue expertly. Echoing throughout the empty auditorium, soulful and sad and beautiful.

Puck watched on from the balcony just out of sight. He and Santana weren't _that_ close. He never got an invite to her house or met her family but they were bros back in the day. In middle school they used to play video games at his house after school. They picked on nerds together and made fun of the popular kids. Then freshmen year of high school came along with Quinn Fabray. He did anything and everything he could to get Quinn to notice him. The pretty blonde was the one to suggest he join the football team because she'd only date a quarterback. When he made quarterback sophomore year and started dating Quinn he lost his friendship with Santana. Watching her sit at a piano he didn't even know she could play had him regretting not being a better friend. There was a lot he didn't know about her but he wanted to get to know her. He wanted to repair their lost friendship. He figured helping her get the girl would be the redeeming factor.

Puck was so lost in his thoughts and Santana so lost in her song that neither of them noticed the two blondes entering the auditorium. Quinn took in the scene before her with a horrible feeling swirling in her gut. "What the hell is she doing here…"

"What's going on, Q?" Brittany's brows furrowed as she followed Quinn's narrowed gaze, her puzzled blue eyes flickering briefly to the stage before settling back upon her best friend. "I thought you said Mack had a surprise for me."

Quinn caught Puck's eye and the boy started gesturing frantically for them to leave. It was obvious that Santana wasn't supposed to get there before them. He was mouthing '_abort'_ and freaking out while Quinn tried to usher Brittany out of the auditorium. Making excuses about how she must have gotten the meeting place wrong. And then…

_"The songbirds keep singing like they know the score… and I love you I love you I love you…"_

Brittany froze, turning back around in slow motion to stare at the stage. Finally recognizing the song Santana was singing, recognizing the familiar melody she was playing on the piano. Her heart was beating at a dizzying speed and the puzzle pieces she never knew she had started to fit together. She suddenly remembered the way Santana was always just _there_, almost as though appearing out of thin air, when her Secret Admirer was supposed to show. Suddenly remembered the brief look of panic flickering over Santana's features when she found her in the lot by her car. Santana's family had money. Santana had dark hair and a nice ass. Santana told her the name of the song playing from the music box, told Brittany it was special to her before she read the same admission on her Secret Admirer's note. Then there was the confrontation with Mack, the way Santana was so _sure_ Mack wasn't her Secret Admirer. And finally, finally, there was the kiss in the hallway. The one that Santana warned her was going to happen but hadn't prepared Brittany for the way it would make her feel. The conclusion hit Brittany so hard that she couldn't restrain a verbal reaction.

"Oh my god! It's _you_!"

Santana immediately stopped playing, stopped singing, to stare wide eyed and completely mortified in Brittany's direction. For a moment she was speechless. And then words came in a stuttering mess. So very unlike Santana Lopez the badass. "Brittany? W-What are you doing he-"

"It was you the whole time." Brittany's face flushed with anger, with humiliation. She was angry with herself for not seeing it, angry with Santana for not telling her, for playing stupid games with her when she could have just _told_ her the truth from the very beginning. In that moment when Brittany was alone under the bleachers and Santana appeared out of thin air she could have told Brittany. Could have saved her the disappointment from the next two botched meeting attempts. Could have saved her the utter embarrassment that she felt in that very moment. She felt played, felt like a fool, falling for Santana's schemes. A part of her wanted to believe it was all some elaborate plan, some kind of cruel game. That it was just another way for Santana to antagonize her. But most of all Brittany despised the fact that she _knew_ it wasn't a game. That Santana, despite the years of relentless taunting she received from the brunette, would never be that cruel. "You're my secret admirer. _You_ gave me those gifts. _You_ wrote those notes. _You_... lied to me."

"I didn't lie to you," Santana wanted to rush over to Brittany, willed her frozen limbs to _move_. She couldn't. Brittany finally knew and the look her crush was giving her didn't compare to any of her worst nightmares. "I just..."

"You just what?" The tears welling in her eyes started to fall, trailing a hot path down her flushed cheeks. The overwhelming anger Brittany felt was shifting into insecurity, into pure humiliation. Her voice trembled and she hated how weak her voice sounded in the stifling stillness of the auditorium. "Weren't telling the truth?"

"No. Well, yes. But I tried to-"

Brittany couldn't take it any more. She didn't want to hear the excuses. Didn't want to hear more lies. She didn't even want to hear what could possibly be the truth. She felt betrayed. By Santana and by Quinn who, judging from the look on her face, knew about it but hadn't bothered to tell Brittany. She just wanted to get away from it all. She needed to think. Needed time to sort through her thoughts and emotions and decide if Santana Lopez was worth talking to ever again. She turned away from them both, barely feeling the stinging of her lungs or the burning at her legs as she ran away from it all. She just needed time to think. It was all too much.

"Brittany, wait! Please let me explain!" Her immobile limbs finally listened to the frantic signals from her brain and Santana sprang into motion. Moving to chase after Brittany, to catch the girl and make her _understand_. In her frantic attempt she managed to knock the piano bench over and bolt off of the stage. She wasn't prepared for someone to block her path. Wasn't prepared for Quinn Fabray to enter her blurred vision and give her a look filled with so much understanding.

"Let her go, Santana." Quinn knew it was a rash move that would most likely end with Santana lashing out at her but she knew Brittany needed some time after the bomb that'd been dropped on her. "She needs to cool off and you need to-"

"Shut the fuck up, Fabray." Santana scowled at the blonde, attempting to shove Quinn out of the way. The last thing she needed was the bitchy blonde interfering. She needed to get to Brittany, needed to explain herself before it was too late. "This was all part of your evil plan, wasn't it. From the moment you found out it was me you-"

Quinn shoved Santana back, fury glowing in her hazel eyes. How dare Santana pin the shitfest on her? She was the only one who actually wanted to_ tell _Brittany the _truth_ before it all blew itself out of proportion but _nooo_, she'd been blackmailed into secrecy and Santana had the gall to blame her for the whole stupid thing blowing up in her face? That was not going to fly with Quinn. "You're an idiot! I didn't have to _plan_ to sabotage you when you were doing a fantastic job of it yourse-"

"Ladies!" Puck swooped in between them. As much as he enjoyed a good catfight he knew the two of them were likely to murder each other. No way was he going to have that on his conscience. Shit was seriously getting out of hand. "Relax. Santana," He turned his apologetic gaze to Santana. Already regretting having to say what he was going to say because he knew she would _not_ take it well at all. "You know she's right. Going after Brittany while both of you are upset is-"

"You know what," Santana couldn't believe what she was hearing. Puck was siding with Quinn _again_. What the hell did he know about anything? Their stupid meddling in her business had only made everything that much worse. She shrugged his hand off of her shoulder, backing away toward one of the exits near the stage. Santana turned her back on the couple and swiped viciously at residual tears streaking her makeup down her cheeks. "You can go fuck yourselves."

Then she was shoving the door to the exit open and storming out of the auditorium. Leaving Puck and Quinn to share worried glances.

* * *

"Well," Mack cringed when Puck and Quinn finished their retelling of the confrontation between Brittany and Santana. "It could've been worse."

Quinn glared at the brunette, her arms crossing over her a chest and her bitchiest expression slipping across her features. "How could have it been any _worse_? They both left in tears and Brittany hasn't spoken to me in nearly three days. Do you know how hard it is to perfect a basket toss when the person whose supposed to catch you won't talk to you?"

"Yeah." Puck hissed while shifting the bag of ice in his hand from his swollen eye to his crotch. "I tried to talk some sense into Santana today and it did _not_ go well. At all." He winced at the memory of the beating he'd taken. Santana was like a fucking ninja, he hadn't seen her fist coming until it was connecting with his face. "Definitely couldn't have been worse."

"I meant it could've been worse," Mack stared at them like they suddenly sprouted two heads. She arrived at the auditorium literally minutes after the whole thing went down. If she'd gotten there any sooner, Santana would have definitely been out for her blood. "For _me_."

Quinn scowled at the response. "You-"

"Enough with the squabbling." Kurt silenced them with a gesture of his hands. He glanced at the door to the McKinley High School choir room anxiously. Initially, he'd wanted to steer clear of any place Santana _or_ Brittany might come face to face with him but his guilt about the meddling he'd done won out. "Britt will be here any minute."

"Unless the freaky little hobbit you sent to lure her here blabs about our plan." Aphasia shot a pointed glare at the door. "I don't trust the bitch."

Kurt waved off the comment with a nervous giggle. "Oh, please. Rachel is harmless."

At that very moment Rachel Berry rushed into the room… without Brittany.

"Rachel?" Kurt lifted a brow. "Where's Brittany?"

Her brows were furrowed above big brown eyes and her usually bright smile had a nervous quality to it. She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater and failed at holding his inquisitive stare. "I have a perfectly good explanation for why I have arrived at our previously agreed upon meeting place at the previously agreed upon meeting time without-"

"I'm gonna cut her." Aphasia stood from her seat with a menacing glare causing Rachel to yelp in pure fright before slowly backing away toward the exit while continuing to babble.

"While I do not understand your fascination with, ahem, causing me bodily harm. I _do_ understand your frustrations with my apparent failure to lure Brittany Pierce into the choir room as we discussed. However, I do not believe we have the needed time to delve into such a topic as Brittany is currently on her way here and is not in the… ah, _best_ of moods considering I might have, possibly, _unintentionally_ informed her of your past and present scheming."

Quinn and Lauren were still attempting to decipher what it was the annoying brunette was trying to say while Puck and Kurt wondered how, exactly, Rachel had managed to say the entire thing without taking a single breath. Aphasia was still eyeing Rachel like she was on the precipice of lunging at the midget and ripping her face off.

"Wait," Kurt's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets once he finally realized the meaning behind Rachel's rambled confession. "_What?!_"

"Shit." Mack mirrored Kurt's expression when the all words finally sunk in. She spared a wide eyed glance at each of her fellow conspirators. "Dunno about you guys but I'm going to get the fuck ou-"

"Nobody's going _anywhere_ until I get some answers." Brittany entered the room, her cold gaze shifting eerily about the room. The ominous sound of the door lock clicking shut forced another frightened yelp from Rachel.


	8. I Bet It Stung

**A/N:**

**It's been too long my lovelies! In my defense it was party season for me and I tend to be almost constantly intoxicated starting from Xmas to St. Pattie's. I'm gonna try and finish this story and maybe _You Know How I Do_ up before summertime fun rolls around. As for _Outside of Make Believe_ that shit is going to be effing long and dramatic and I don't even know what yet.**

**I added an extra chapter to this fic because it didn't feel right to just end it all random happy this chapter. I'm not too happy with this chapter but meh. I hope you guys get some semblance of enjoyment out of it. :)**

**P. S. A reviewer recommended I get a BETA. How does that work? Like, what do they do? And does someone want to be my BETA? But first explain what they do because idk.**

* * *

Santana stared anxiously at the door in front of her; one hand poised to knock while the other nervously brushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear. She chewed at her bottom lip, wondering if she should just leave. What if Brittany slammed the door in her face? What if she didn't _want_ to hear Santana out? What if... Santana shook the thoughts from her head. It was now or never, all or nothing.

Steeling herself, Santana knocked on Brittany's front door. She held her breath until the need for oxygen became an issue and stared incredulously at the still closed door. Her brows furrowed and she knocked again, harder. When there was no answer after a few minutes Santana concluded that either a) Brittany was ignoring her or b) No one was home.

Upon the conclusion the brunette sighed heavily, turning dejectedly away from the door. She decided her rare burst of courage had been a complete waste and was berating herself about giving too little too late when she nearly tripped over something blocking her path. That something emitted a sound very similar to a meow and Santana looked down to find a ginormous cat staring lazily up at her. She arched a brow at the mongrel, moving to step around it. The cat only meowed and moved to block her path once again causing Santana to glare at the little beast, a softly muttered _'what the hell'_ falling from her lips. The thing simply stared up at her; it's big green eyes almost curious. She glared right back, moving to step around it once more. Again, her path was blocked.

Unaccustomed to dealing with animals, her parents had refused her the puppy she begged them for when she was seven on the basis that pets were unhygienic, Santana just stared down at the obese fur ball for a full minute. Blinking down at it while contemplating her next move. Before she could unleash her verbal wrath upon it the cat rubbed against her leg. Letting loose another loud meow. The action shocked Santana to the point of silence, her vicious words dying on the tip of her tongue and her annoyed expression softening considerably.

With a generous roll of her eyes Santana took a seat atop the steps of Brittany's porch. A hint of a smile at her lips as she mock glared at the little beast. "Alright. You win."

The cat let out a more pronounce meow before trotting over to the brunette and sitting next to her. Rubbing its head against her leg. Santana took it as a sign to start petting the mongrel. Maybe if she just gave it a little attention the thing would let her leave. When the cat started purring contentedly Santana couldn't help the hint of a smile that tugged at her lips. She arched a brow and giggled softly when the cat nestled itself in her lap.

"Seriously," Santana glanced at the little beast's collar, her nose scrunching cutely in amusement at the name on the tag. "Lord Tubbington?" The cat in question simply blinked up at her, urging her to continue petting him with a bump of his head and a lazy meow. Santana complied with a soft shake of her head. "This has been... fun but I'd really like to leave now."

The fur ball only continued his contented purring, completely ignoring Santana's request. Santana was in the middle wondering how in the hell she ended up being held hostage by a cat when she realized he was just a cat. It wasn't like the little guy was going to maul her or anything, cats were domesticated animals and this one seemed to be well taken care of judging by how huge he was. With the thoughts in mind Santana made to stand from her perch, gently removing the mongrel from her lap. Only to have the thing sink its claws into her thigh, causing her to fall right back down onto her seat with a pained hiss.

"What the-!" Wide brown eyes glared maliciously into narrowed green. "You little-"

"Santana?"

The sound of the voice instantly snapped her attention away from the evil creature. A wide smile replaced her scowl as brown eyes met sparkling blue.

"I see you've met Lord Tubbington." Mrs. Pierce glanced briefly at the cat before settling upon a now standing Santana Lopez. She took in the hint of a glare the brunette shot at the cat and had to stifle a giggle. To be honest, she saw most of the exchange between Santana and Lord Tubbington. The cat had never taken such a liking to a stranger in the past. More often than not she would find him terrorizing one of her guests when they tried to pet him. Mrs. Pierce moved past the two, shuffling the grocery bags in her hands to unlock the door. "He's been missing for almost a month and Britt has been worried sick. Would you be a dear and bring him into the house before he runs off again?"

"Of course."

They entered the Pierce home, Santana struggling slightly with the weight of the cat in her arms. She wanted to ask what in the hell they fed him but decided that would be rude and the last thing she wanted was to make a bad impression on her crush's mother.

"Go ahead and take him up to Britt's room. She should be home any minute now."

Santana made her way up the stairs and down the hall. Only pausing briefly in front of the door to Brittany's room. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and wondered if she would be able to face Brittany after everything that happened. She knew she'd been a complete coward up until this point and she wasn't sure if her cowardice would make a reappearance when faced with her crush. She knew Brittany was angry and hurt and the last thing Santana wanted was make things worse. With a deep, calming release of breath Santana entered Brittany's room.

* * *

If possible, Brittany felt worse than she did after the emotionally draining confrontation she had with the group of conspirators. Between Kurt's begging her to give Santana a chance, Quinn's reluctant admission that despite Santana's idiocy Brittany should give her a chance, Puck's insistence that most of it was his fault not Santana's so she should give her a chance, and Rachel Berry's annoyingly detailed explanation of why she should give Santana a chance to explain herself, Brittany was even more conflicted about the whole situation than before. Okay, maybe she was (marginally) less angry but she was still really hurt. Santana lied to her, tricked her and not once did the brunette even try to tell her the truth. Or maybe she _did_ try and Brittany just didn't want to know the truth. All the pieces to the jigsaw puzzle fit so perfectly in her head now that she knew the identity of her secret admirer.

Maybe Kurt had been right. Maybe Brittany had known all along (on some super subconscious level) that Santana was the one behind all the romantic gestures. Maybe she hadn't wanted to see the truth because how could she have not known. When she looked back to that day she waited under the bleachers for her Secret Admirer to show it was so very obvious. She could recall Santana's sudden appearance. Could recall the uncharacteristic hint of nervousness as the brunette conducted her usual teasing. Then again, who could blame her for not seeing the girl who ridiculed her for so many years as someone who had a huge crush on her? They weren't in grade school anymore. Santana didn't have to continue being so unreasonably mean to her. And for what reason? To keep up with her _'I'm a badass'_ appearance? Her thoughts brought her right back to Angryville, causing her to storm through her front door and stomp her way up the stairs.

Though, an annoying little voice at the back of her mind had her pausing halfway to her room, she couldn't deny that Santana's badass image was sexy. And, yeah, alright, _maybe_ she indulged in a few X rated fantasies involving the brunette before she found out about Santana's deception. But that was before and this was now and now was confusing as hell. She didn't know what she wanted to do about the Santana situation. All Brittany knew at that moment was that she wanted to change into her comfiest clothes, snuggle into her comfy bed, and stop thinking about anything that had to do with Santana Lopez for the rest of the night.

With the thought in mind, Brittany kicked open the door to her room while tugging her shirt over her head. Completely oblivious to the wide eyed brunette sitting atop her bed.

Okay, so, Santana was pretty sure she was dead. Or dying. Either way she was watching Brittany Pierce undress and-

Her dark gaze traveled distractedly to the blonde's chest and over those delicious abs before settling at the long fingers looping themselves at the waistband of those too tight jeans...

_Holy fucking hell_.

Santana was extremely aware of the fact that she should probably say something to alert Brittany to her presence but speech seemed to be a struggle at the moment. Instead she merely gaped on, open mouthed and silent.

Lord Tubbington, annoyed by the fact Santana had stopped petting him to stare at his half naked owner, meowed very loudly in protest. Brittany's reaction to the sound was instantaneous. Her blue eyes shot toward the source, her heart stopping and racing all at once as her gaze locked with Santana's. Brittany was so startled by the entire occurrence that she ended up tripping over her pants, which (in effect) caused Santana to shoot into a standing position. Sending Lord T scrambling off the brunette's lap. In a rush of concern and mild embarrassment, Santana went to check if the blonde was ok. She didn't factor in Lord Tubbibgton's love of revenge and ended up tripping over the fur ball. Pain searing where knees and palms slammed hard against the carpeted floor. Blood rushing to her face, which had somehow ended up smashed between Brittany's heaving cleavage.

"Did you girls want a sna-" To make matters even worse and ten times more embarrassing, Brittany's mother took that exact moment to pop her head into the room. "Oh." Mrs. Pierce locked gazes with her daughter, the teasing glint in her eyes not lost on the younger blonde. "I was under the impression that Santana wasn't a _special guest_."

Brittany's mother left the room with a pointed look and a reminder of the rules regarding special guests and, after getting over the shock of the situation, the girls instantly scrambled apart. Santana facing away from the blonde and apologizing profusely while Brittany frantically pulled her clothes back on.

"What are you doing here, Santana?" She winced at the sound of her own voice. She hadn't meant for the question to come out so harshly.

"I... um," Santana cringed at Brittany's tone. Her shoulders tensing, palms sweating, and heart pounding as though it was going to burst right out of her chest at any given moment. "I want to..." She took a calming breath to steady herself, turning to face the other girl. "I'm sorry." Her breath caught in her throat when she finally managed to look Brittany in the eyes. Brittany just had this way of stealing Santana's breath away, of making her feel as though she might be floating. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. For what I did. I should have told you I was your Secret Admirer, but I was scared and I, Brittany, I just couldn't stand the thought of you laughing in my face or telling me you didn't feel the same way because I _know_ I haven't been the nicest person to you and I'm sorry for that too."

Brittany's brows furrowed and she chewed at the inside of her cheek. What could she say to that? What did she _want_ to say to that? Santana Lopez was in the middle of her room, blushing and stuttering and stumbling over her words and _apologizing_ to her.

When it became increasingly apparent that Brittany wasn't going to respond, Santana continued on in a more tentative tone. Her apprehension evident in the way her hands moved to nervously fidget with the hem of her shirt. "I have feelings for you, Brittany. Strong feelings. I meant everything I ever wrote you. I wasn't messing with your head or trying to play a prank on you. And I just want to know if, maybe, you could ever feel the same way?"

Her mind was whirling, her head spinning from the giant bomb Santana had suddenly dropped on her. There it was. Out in the open. Santana had _feelings_ for Brittany. Santana had _strong feelings_ for Brittany. She meant every word written in every love letter she'd given to Brittany as her Secret Admirer. The thought sent her heart racing and her had her every nerve buzzing. In anticipation, in mortification, in pure rage, Brittany wasn't sure. What in the hell was she supposed to _say_ to that? So what if half of their messed up situation was partly the product of a group of nosy friends. Santana alone held the blame for the biggest betrayal of all. Brittany still couldn't understand it. Why had Santana lied to her the entire time? Why hadn't she been honest from the start? Why did she continue with the ruse of it even after they became friends? Even with Kurt's explanation about Santana's fear of rejection or Mack's claim that Santana was simply an idiot when it came to feelings and especially after Santana's sudden confession, Brittany still hadn't found the answers to her questions. And she wasn't ready to ask the only person who could give her those answers. Not yet. Not when the entire thing still felt like some kind of cruel joke.

"I don't know."

As soon as the words tumbled almost inaudibly from Brittany's mouth, Santana felt her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. Despite the fact that she knew her heart was racing from adrenaline and fear, the brunette felt every thudding beat like a slow painful stab to her chest. This was what she was afraid of. This was why she chose to hide behind the guise of a Secret Admirer. This was the exact reason she'd been such a coward. _Rejection_. Plain and simple. "I guess… I guess I should leave."

Before Brittany could get another word out, before her brain could even formulate a response or comprehend the meaning behind Santana's words, the brunette was rushing past her and out of her bedroom door. She faintly heard Santana politely declining her mother's offer to stay for dinner. Faintly recognized the roar of Santana's motorcycle past the blood rushing in her ears. When the shock of the confrontation finally passed Brittany turned toward her bedroom door in a delayed reaction. Santana was already gone and had left Brittany feeling significantly more confused about how she felt.

* * *

Brittany Pierce was beautiful, like, amazingly beautiful. So beautiful that sometimes Santana had issues stringing together the most basic of words or had trouble thinking straight (pun intended). The brunette especially had difficulties keeping her breathing steady or her heart rate stable. The way her heart clenched and swelled and sped up was like some form of cardiac arrest. Which was why, at that moment, Santana had to force herself to look away and remind herself to _breathe_. The last thing she wanted was to faint from lack of oxygen after coming this far. Her lungs inflated, deflated, inflated once more. She released the recycled air in a shaky breath and found her lost words. The traitorous syllables had fled her mind once her eyes connected with Brittany's startled baby blues. Rendering her speechless, breathless, and utterly useless for the entire minute and a half it took for Santana to regain her bearings. To remember why she was standing in front of Brittany in the first place.

"Hi." Santana fought against her intense desire to run as far away as possible. Fought against the panicky feeling she was getting from all the curious gazes set upon her, set upon _them_. No doubt the curious onlookers were taking in the item in Santana's possession. An item that the brunette lifted with trembling hands to present to Brittany. "This is, uh," Santana had to tear her stare away from those mesmerizing sapphire eyes once again. She wouldn't be able to say what she needed to say, to do what she needed to do, with Brittany staring at her. Staring into her the way she had a habit of. "This is for you."

Brittany stared blankly at the proffered item. Took in the stemmed rose in Santana's had before numbly accepting the gift. She was dumbfounded. Bewildered. Stupefied. Dazed and dazzled and confuzzled and every other synonym for the word. What in the world was actually happening?

Santana could see the shock, the flurry of almost unreadable emotions fluttering across Brittany's beautiful features. She couldn't help but find it cute. The way Brittany's brows furrowed, the way her nose crinkled, and especially the way the softest of blushes colored her cheeks. She had to mentally shake herself back to reality again, her brown eyes shifting down to her shoes to steady herself before lifting once more. When Brittany showed no signs of responding Santana forced another shaky stream of words from her lips. "In that first letter I wrote you I said that I wanted to tell you how I felt in person. I really thought I was ready for that kind of public announcement, but when I saw all those people waiting under the bleachers I panicked and I couldn't do it. Then everything got complicated and it became more and more difficult to tell you I was your Secret Admirer."

The flurry of muted gasps and frenzied murmuring from the curious onlookers had Santana tensing. She cringed at the sound and swallowed down the nervous lump in her throat. Now that everyone knew she was the culprit behind all those cheesy romantic gestures her reputation as a badass was as good as dead. Santana ignored the whispered talks, the scrutinizing looks she could feel them giving her, and forced her brown eyes to Brittany's guarded blue. The undecipherable look in the blonde's eyes didn't help Santana's growing anxiety. All she wanted was to somehow fix things between them. Even if Brittany said she hated her and wanted nothing to do with her, Santana had to at least try.

"I wanted to tell you," She paused, struggling to remember the words she spent the past four days putting together. "I wanted to _show_ you that this isn't a joke to me because," Santana did what she should have done in the first place. Closed her eyes, took a shuddered breath, and said it. "I'm in love with you."

The silence that followed her confession could be considered eerie. The only thing Santana could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears until the silence was interrupted by a collective uproar. Some people gasped while others shared _'what the fuck' _glances and even more began to spread the news. Santana Lopez had just declared, in the middle of a busy hallway with the girl of her dreams standing mutely before her, that she was in love with Brittany Pierce.


End file.
